


Old Friends, New Friends

by AndeliaMaddock



Series: Three Men Walk Into a Bar [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Anal Sex, BDSM, Bondage, Dominance, Double Penetration in One Hole, M/M, Multi, Non-Con Roleplay, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Sexual Roleplay, Spanking, Submission, Threesome - M/M/M, arcade being a snappy motherfucker, booze, soldier fetish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 20:15:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 41,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11298051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndeliaMaddock/pseuds/AndeliaMaddock
Summary: He unhooked his one leg from the stool and turned back towards the rest of the bar. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me.""About what?" Ignacio glanced over one shoulder and appeared to search the bar, but went right on past the culprit Arcade mentioned, as though he didn't notice the nosy NCR sitting with his back to them both in that stupid red hat that might as well have screamed 'Here I am!' for how discreet it was."Boone." He stepped past his date with quick steps. "What brings you here."Boone lifted a brown bottle to his lips and tilted his head back just an inch. Beer held loosely between three fingers, he lowered it and arched a brow in Arcade's direction. "Beer." Once more, he lifted the beer, although this time as though to show off what everyone could already see, like a very uninspired salesman.((Note, non-con is checked, but only because of non-con roleplay in chapter 5. If you want to avoid that, or you want to especially read that, that's where it is. Everything within the entire story is 100% consensual, including that.))





	1. Reunions

**Author's Note:**

> Blame TinyFakeFanficRock for this entire thing. When I drunkenly picked my favorite character, Arcade, for writing a story, they picked Ignacio. I don't know how Boone happened, which is fair, because neither do Arcade and Ignacio.

Arcade clenched fingers pressed up against calloused palms. Sweat dripped along the lines of his skin and fell swiftly to the desert ground. He uncurled those tense fingers, let his shoulders set lower, and inhaled nice and easy. "Ignacio! It's great to see you." No use pretending he hadn't seen him, especially since Ignacio seemed inclined to step over regardless.

Ignacio gave a simple nod and stepped closer. "Time has tended to you well."

He didn't lick his bottom lip, he didn't do that nervous cue-- damn it. He grinned, though it felt a bit cracked and stretched on his face. "Well, don't let me stop you from talking to Julie. She's over in the tower if--"

"Actually," there came that habit he had, of pulling an 'actually' when he wanted to pause someone's misinformed rambles, "I've been told I have two weeks mandatory vacation, so I thought to come visit Freeside and see what I could do to assist. I've come to talk with you though, as Julie is already aware of my presence."

Of course she was. Probably the whole camp was, but he'd been off gallivanting about with fire geckos, again, and he'd missed that no-doubt hastily scrawled memo.

"I hope this is alright with you. I thought we could perhaps catch up." His voice never hitched, but his rich brown eyes with the little golden flecks said enough.

Arcade tried once more, in vain, to keep from licking his lips. It only dehydrated them and made it more apparent where his mind was going. Ignacio would remember.

\---~~~---

"That's a bad habit in such a dry climate. You'll crack your lips and require care."

"I can hardly help it when it's an unconscious action."

"Even tells like yours can be managed."

"Tells? Excuse me, an action as innocent as licking my lips and you're reading what exactly from it?"

"Your pupils are dilated, despite the light level, and you've been mimicking my posture, despite many adjustments, for the better part of an hour." That voice held in that same monotone, but there was a knowing smirk to it, even if it was ever so slight in form.

How infuriating.

\---~~~---

"It's great, actually. I was just thinking about you." And if he meant that as in literally seconds before Ignacio started talking, then that was fine. It wasn't a lie, right? "You look incredible." Too soon, too much, he regretted it immediately but he kept the smile up, used it as a shield.

"As do you." There was that smile, something that wouldn't even blip on anyone else's radar as being one, but Arcade knew.

"So, mandatory vacation?"

"Yes. Unfortunate, but I suppose that's the price I pay for working alongside those I work with outside of the Followers."

Because Ignacio would see two weeks of vacation, possibly even paid vacation, as a downside. And who but Ignacio would literally look for another place to work while he waited for that two weeks to pass?

Not that Arcade could complain. The other Follower really did look fantastic.

Arcade matched that barely there smile, and stepped closer. He nearly put a hand on that shoulder, but those times had evaporated like drops of water in the sun, hadn't they?

Ignacio joined Arcade in a step until they were so very near one another. "Perhaps we could discuss things sometime this week? I've been rather lacking in intellectuals to converse with, and you're certainly one of the most intelligent men I've ever known."

It nearly sucked the breath out of his lungs, to hear his old friend be so bold. So open. He felt his heart rate increase, as though he were in the middle of an intense cardio workout, but he couldn't keep the smile down any longer. "Of course. I'd enjoy that." Of course, he pulled monosyllabic responses out here. Damn his nerves. He tried to keep calm, did his absolute best to compose himself and regain some ground. "If you'd like, we could have a drink at the Wrangler."

Mistakes were made.

Ignacio nodded. "I suppose I could spend some time there. I understand it's not exactly the most... savory of locations, but we have to make do with what a given location has, don't we?"

"I've done my best to do that so far, yes. It beats a lot of spots, certainly."

\---~~~---

"Hold this, I'm... I'm going in."

"This is really a poor idea." It didn't keep the grin off Ignacio's face. "You'll get injured."

"Of course. Probably. I've planned for that."

"Oh, have you then?" Ignacio held the bottle of merlot and let out a quiet sigh.

"Yeah. I'll get hurt, you'll patch me up."

"Must I remind you that I am not the one studying to be a medical doctor?"

"Nope. You've let me know, time and time again, that you're some other thing."

"Some... other..." Ignacio leaned up against the fence, shook his head mournfully, then pulled a swig of the pilfered wine. Still, a peek of amusement tipped over his lips. "You're so brilliant, but you can be a fool."

Arcade laughed and gave the brahmin a big shove. He used all his upper body strength and a fair bit of his height to his advantage. He found the brahmin tipped easily.

The bighorners nearby weren't so pleased with how readily he 'attacked' their comrades.

\---~~~---

"Oh, certainly. If you were to visit me at my normal job location, you'd be hard-pressed to find a good spot to simply converse. Especially with that ignoramus, Fantastic."

"I remember that guy." Gary nodded, then shook his head. It was a bit dizzying how quickly he went from one motion to the other. "What an absolute ass." He looked up to Arcade and nodded again.

"Exactly."

"Ouch. He must be really unbearable if you're both upset about it."

"Do you remember Burgess?"

"Oh god are you even asking me that? I'd be in a coma and clench up if I heard his name. You could wake me from a vegetative state if you mentioned he was in the room."

"Exactly. Now, make him a moron."

"Oh no."

"Now you understand. I hate to take time from the mission, but I have to be honest. It's nice not to hear him talk."

\---~~~---

"So then, the tribals were absolutely enamored by my intelligence and begged me to be their leader. I informed them, of course, that I could not take on such a position lightly, as I had many people to help in my travels."

Ignacio blinked, then turned his head towards Arcade and offered an incredulous look.

Arcade snickered. He didn't hide it. He didn't pretend. Burgess glared, but Arcade shrugged the look off.

"At any rate, the tribals clamored for my attention but, unfortunately, I couldn't stay. And so, that's why I'm here."

"You know, Caesar off in the East started as a Follower." Arcade took a moment, let that expression set hard into his memory, one he could look back on for years to come and laugh at, "I bet he felt pretty similarly about tribals. You know, things who needed his expertise. Not that they were real people, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Burgess stepped forward, "of course I feel they're real."

"Perhaps real easy to take advantage of." Ignacio downed his shot and nodded at Arcade. "People like you," another glance at Burgess, "they should inspect why they're Followers. If you don't know the name of a tribe, do you even care about them?"

"They're just tribals."

"So was I." Ignacio stood.

Arcade followed. "Come on. I know a nicer place to celebrate graduation."

"I wouldn't say no to that. Or to you."

\---~~~---

"Well, it's good to hear you again." Enough. Times had changed. Ignacio wasn't the same man and neither was Arcade.

But Ignacio smiled. Sincere, and with teeth, such a pretty white set that he hid too often. "I have work to do. Julie wants me to look over some statistics that she discovered, and cross-reference them with current data to determine if the results are consistent."

"It sounds like something I should be far away from."

"You always were more people oriented than me, so yes."

People oriented. He grinned, and cracked lips called for him to stop that nonsense. He licked them instead and it silenced them for a moment.

"I should be at the Atomic Wrangler at 8 tonight. I'll be near the front."

"I'll be waiting." Arcade waved, and immediately regretted it. It wasn't as though his old colleague was leaving, he seemed to only need to walk one tent over.

When Ignacio left, his courier friend leaned in and grinned high up at Arcade. "So. An old beau of yours, perhaps?"

Arcade stepped away from them, took a bit of time to himself to compose everything together. To gather himself, after all that. "We're colleagues, and we went to school together." He dusted his jacket off, then adjusted his top button of his shirt. Suddenly, it was too tight.

"Ooooh. Sounds lovely. Well, he came here just to see you."

"Which means nothing, and don't you go spreading that message around."

"Well, we'd all root for you, if you were interested in him. But since you're clearly not, don't let me stop you." They patted him on the shoulder and turned towards the exit to the fort.

\---~~~---

Ignacio stroked along his shoulders, rubbed his thumbs and fingers into the tense muscles beneath Arcade's pale skin. "I suppose you learned your lesson?"

"Carpe noctem."

"Latin won't fix torn muscles."

"If they were torn, I'd be agonized by a massage. I'm just a bit sore."

"I imagine. A bighorner is called that for a reason. You're lucky that you're not dead."

"I got what I wanted."

"The cheap thrill of tormenting an animal?"

"I helped it up." He stifled the whine from his voice and leveled himself as much as he could. "And no. Your hands on me."

"Barba tenus sapientes."

"Excuse me?”

"You could just ask if you want me to touch you."

"I... I'll keep that in mind. But my beard is coming in just fine. It just needs a bit of time."

"Time and tide wait for no man."

"Thank you, Chaucer, I'll keep that in mind."

\---~~~---

The Wrangler smelled different than he remembered. It wasn't that he went about smelling places, especially places that advertised the women as cheap as booze, but he could tell there was a difference here. There was a certain metallic smell that didn't fully set in until he saw Fisto walk up towards James at the front bar.

Ah. Right. Boone and Gary had become a prostitute wranglers. He'd nearly forgotten that little series of escapades and how he'd been asked to test all the humans for 'social diseases' before they started work. Not that Fisto was human, but they had kept Arcade around when Fisto was programmed for the current line of work.

Lucky Arcade, seeing that process. And the results. He shuddered.

The stool next to him moved and Arcade smiled over. "Glad to see you've arrived."

"I don't believe I was late." Ignacio nodded to James, "An atomic cocktail, please and thank you."

"I'm surprised to see you drinking. I thought you swore off it last time."

"Years have passed. People change. Though, I rarely indulge. I only do so when I feel safe."

He was already a shot of scotch in and that got a smile speared over his lips. "Well, the last thing I'd do is take advantage of you."

"Old statements still apply for you." And as quick as those softly spoken words, Ignacio downed the cocktail and tapped the bar for another. "I just don't appreciate random men and their attempts on me. I prefer a man I know. I'm sure you understand how it is."

Arcade blinked through several flashes of memories, one night stands with beautiful men (for various degrees of beautiful), then he nodded. "Absolutely. I feel the same way."

James glanced between the two of them before he poured out Arcade's double and set it beside the Atomic cocktail.

"I probably shouldn't drink much more though. It's been a while."

He tapped his shot glass to Ignacio's taller one, then downed it. "It's been a while for me too."

James turned before he could smirk, though he turned towards Arcade a bit more so Arcade saw the flash of teeth anyway. At least this Garret had the decency to turn away from Ignacio when Arcade's intents were made clear enough. Francine had no such decency in the past.

Moments drew on with a slight tip to them, and Arcade felt satisfaction at how the alcohol already caressed his insides and beckoned him to sit closer to his old friend. "So..."

Ignacio turned his body fully towards Arcade on the stool. One foot lifted and settled on the bottom rung. His left arm ghosted touches along the slight stubble at his chin, while the other held the drink at his hip.

Arcade motioned for another drink, a single this time, and glanced over. "You still touch your face when you talk to me? Interesting."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

\---~~~---

"You keep stroking your face when I'm around. You don't do it with everyone else." He leaned over until his forehead was nearly pressed up against Ignacio's. He could smell the scotch that mingled in the air between them; the alcohol itself was an Old World remnant they'd found in an abandoned basement and taken the liberty of securing.

Of course, said securing meant they secured it down in their insides and promptly abandoned their 'research' for their Old World knowledge class.

Arcade didn't care. Right then, he cared about how that darker skin still blushed an almost delicate pink when Ignacio was caught being cute.

"I-I don't know what you're referring to." They stilled, and even their breathing became slower.

"And now you're blushing. Cute." He arched a brow and stood up taller, pulled away just a bit to give the other some room.

"Inebriation often flushes my skin, you know it is. You witnessed it enough times lately."

"Oh, that felt like a jab. Am I a bad influence on you?"

"It certainly feels that way. You were the one that suggested we finish off that alcohol."

"You're the one that signed up for this class just because I was in it." He couldn't argue that point, but he could sidestep it as cleanly as he did an ancient brick on the floor. He moved back directly beside Ignacio.

"Th-that's hardly true." Ignacio turned away from Arcade though, hunched his shoulders back, and stepped back towards the ancient basement bar. "I have a long-standing fascination with the knowledge, technology, and society of our ancestors."

"And you hate our teacher." He stepped closer once more. "Besides, we both know that you never get flushed from alcohol until you're loaded. And you're only a drink in."

"I know no such thing." But there came the almost smile. Dark eyes met Arcade's. "Though, I suppose you may be right. After all, I hardly see my own reflection and I see it even less so when I'm impaired."

"Why don't you just admit what we both know, and we can go from there?"

"I'm not going to be the first to admit it."

"You're so stubborn." He dipped in between Ignacio and the dusty bar and leaned over the old counter. "Will I have to seduce you even more?" He ignored an itch at his shoulder in order to look up with a sultry expression at the other.

"Who could avoid the charms of someone like you?" A mischievous look hung on those beautiful lips, crinkled the edges of those deep eyes.

"Exac--"

"With a massive aphonopelma iodius perched on your shoulder, you're really a catch."

"Aph..." Even a drink in, he was fairly quick to recall that was the beginning of a genus. What genus was it again? Oh. Never one to let a crush catch him overreacting, he casually turned his head back towards his shoulder. Ah. Yes, well. "I thought I felt something. If I didn't see where your hands were, I'd have assumed it was you." Slowly, carefully, he reached out and gently encouraged it to crawl away.

The tarantula seemed fine with this. Down it crawled along his side, down his belly, and back onto the dusty bar counter it no doubt called home.

All the while, Arcade's entire body fluttered with those tiny footsteps along his clothing.

Stiffly but with as much grace as he could manage, he slid off the counter and ambled right up into Ignacio's space. "So, you said I was a catch." Full recovery, even if he felt out of breath from having held it.

"I did."

"I'm glad you finally said it. I was beginning to feel sorry for you, so clearly smitten with me, yet unable to admit it."

"Do you feel the same way?"

"Well..." He leaned himself down over them a bit, pulled them in with a friendly arm around their shoulders. "I might."

"Ah. Well then. What should we do to fill our time?"

"There's a bottle of scotch with our names on it and no one else to miss it. Except maybe that tarantula, who shouldn't drink much anyway. How about it?"

"I suppose if we're to spend the night here anyway, drinking might not be the worst use of our time. But tomorrow we finish working."

"Of course, of course." He reached out for the bottle with one arm and kept on leading them towards the rickety stairs with his other arm curled around Ignacio's waist.

\---~~~---

Ignacio's hand trembled mid-air, as though it were uncertain where to go. Eventually, he just let it lay down over his lap and curled it around the cocktail his other hand clutched. "Nervous habit."

"Oh, absolutely. Just like my biting my lips, right? We've all got our... quirks, I suppose."

And if James no doubt heard the dip in his voice and smirked in response to Arcade's comments, to Hell with him. He was almost definitely getting laid and James could think whatever he wanted.

Ignacio seemed to notice the look James gave. That once familiar flush filled those soft cheeks and Ignacio quickly pulled in a few long sips of his cocktail. "This is an excellent drink. I suppose I'd forgotten how good these can taste."

He couldn't stop admiring at the wetness on those lips. The way Ignacio's neck bulged and then receded with each swallow, it intoxicated more than the several shots swimming their way to his liver did. He grinned and leaned on forward, propped one of his own legs against the bottom rung of his friend's stool. "I've forgotten how good a lot of things taste."

"You always were thick on your subtlety."

"You always liked to talk circles around what you want."

"I've often reminisced on our conversations lately. When you're surrounded by NCR who talk in grunts and an idiot who couldn't fool a child, it's... isolating."

"Is that all you missed?"

"Hardly." He lifted the drink and made short work of what remained. A moment later, the glass slapped against the counter and Ignacio glanced up to James once more. "I'd like something a bit stronger, perhaps that whiskey." He nodded in the direction of the bottle. It was real high-end stuff, on the top shelf.

"You've got a strong man right there. Though, I suppose you'd like another drink first?" James chuckled and reached for the bottle.

Ignacio raised a brow at that chuckle, then nodded. "That would be nice."

"Well, make sure you keep enough caps on hand you can get a room too. We don't run tabs around here anymore." James flipped the thick scotch bottle over and poured out a single for the both of them.

Arcade tapped his highball glass against his friend's, "To us, and to James giving us a bit of breathing room to converse if he wants more of my money anytime in the future."

Palms up and heavy chuckles from his gut, James stepped back. "Your call, Gannon. I'm just trying to help you out. I wouldn't want you going away empty handed, not after how you and your friend have helped Freeside so much."

"How noble." He returned his gaze to Ignacio. "Though, perhaps we could continue over at a table? Thankfully, nothing that passes as 'entertainment' in this place is currently on stage. Believe me, we're lucky."

"I think that would be preferable. You know I prefer privacy." Ignacio stood and emptied his own shot in one go, then ambled towards a nearby table.

He unhooked his one leg from the stool and turned back towards the rest of the bar. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"About what?" Ignacio glanced over one shoulder and appeared to search the bar, but went right on past the culprit Arcade mentioned, as though he didn't notice the nosy NCR sitting with his back to them both in that stupid red hat that might as well have screamed 'Here I am!' for how discreet it was.

"Boone." He stepped past his date with quick steps. "What brings you here."

Boone lifted a brown bottle to his lips and tilted his head back just an inch. Beer held loosely between three fingers, he lowered it and arched a brow in Arcade's direction. "Beer." Once more, he lifted the beer, although this time as though to show off what everyone could already see, like a very uninspired salesman.

He wasn't fooled. Arcade popped his mouth open, ready to retort.

"Oh! Boone. You're the one that assisted with bringing power back for everyone, aren't you? Yes, I recognize that beret of yours. I'm surprised I didn't notice you coming in."

Boone shrugged. "I came in after."

"So you did notice us here?" Arcade pulled up a chair next to Boone and slapped himself into it.

"Yeah."

"Would it be alright if we all sat together?" Ignacio ran his fingers along the wooden back of a chair but didn't pull it out.

"Sure." Boone looked down at his beer though, brows tucked in a bit, furrowed together in something that seemed like concentration. "You two know each other?"

Arcade leaned in and allowed the emphasis to go on all the right words. "We go back years. Many long years. We went and got our doctorates together, you know."

"Good." Boone looked back up and focused on Ignacio with dark eyes behind sunshades. "Is that idiot still there?"

"Unfortunately, and by the same stroke, fortunately. It leaves me to my own devices. Still, 'Fantastic' is an ever-present challenge to deal with, though I shouldn't worry about that any longer."

Boone actually smiled. He shook his head and gave a grim laugh into his beer. "Sorry."

"It's hardly your fault."

"NCR hired him though. People like that, they're the reason others question the NCR's abilities. If an ass like that gets through..."

Ignacio leaned in his own rare smile on his face so readily. "I have hopes that he'll be relieved of his duties. Word is that I might be able to run the facility myself soon. He's made an increasing number of missteps as of late."

"Good. They'll give him the boot."

"I would enjoy that. Though, he served a purpose, as you recall."

Doublespeak. This was clearly some sort of personal history coded conversation. Arcade wracked his brain in an attempt to figure out just what sort of history these two had. It had to have been a short one. Just at the HELIOS One facility, right? Just that brief mention Ignacio made of his job, that was where Boone knew him from, right?

Then again, Ignacio had worked in conjunction with NCR. Boone was NCR. Even if he wasn't signed on anymore, he was still NCR deep, right to the marrow. Boone had the hat to prove it.

Arcade stood. He slapped his hands down on the table. "Drinks. I think we need another round of drinks."

"Could use a beer." Boone eyed Arcade without even turning his head. He lifted the empty bottle up in a silent request.

"They don't do tabs."

"They do for me." He glanced back to Ignacio and asked, "What are you having?"

"Oh, I should just drink water for the moment." He reached into his jacket to pull out the caps.

"No, I'll get it. I owe you one." He glanced back to Arcade. "A water for him. Please."

And manners.

Arcade felt his stomach tighten and the alcohol threatened to return up into his mouth. It'd burn more on the way up the esophagus than down, he knew from experience, so he did his best to smooth over the sensations and relax. "Of course. I'll be right back."

A little under half of him wanted to just ignore both of their requests and get himself a whiskey. Maybe 4. Maybe order a room and just go upstairs and stay by himself for a bit, if they enjoyed one another’s company so much. Hell, maybe he’d go ask Old Ben to come talk to him for a while. He wouldn’t do anything else (probably), but the guy was good for conversation.

But no, he was better than that. Better than petty irritation and giving up to no doubt overreactions. Behaving boorishly never impressed Ignacio.

\---~~~---

"He wants inside of you." He did not cross his arms, he did not let his voice take on that whiny tone it might have if he wasn't so careful here to also not cross his arms. No, he leaned against the wall and eyed the intruder from across the room. They didn't seem to notice.

"We were talking."

"Well, when I 'talk' I want inside of you. Like right now." He pushed back with his elbows and moved into their space. "I wouldn't mind going on a long walk with you."

There came the huff. "Arcade. I'm here to actually socialize. Perhaps in a few hours, when I'm ready to leave, you can..." There came the glance around, the low voice, "get inside of me. But not if you're going to behave so possessively."

Well fine then. "I hope he doesn't try smooth talking you anymore. He came on so thick I could barely breathe."

"He asked what my name is. I hardly see how that's coming on smooth. If it were, then I come onto women on a semi-regular basis. Which, I assure you, is not the case."

That got a laugh, though it was unsteady. Arcade slumped back against the wall. "Alright." He almost moved closer after a moment, for a kiss, but Ignacio had already turned and began his walk away.

Arcade huffed and sucked down the rest of his lukewarm beer.

\---~~~---

"A beer, a water, and a whiskey. Please."

"That sounds like the surly start to a bad joke. Now that Hadrian's out of his contract thanks to your friend, maybe you could try your hand at it?"

"I'm hardly a comedian."

"No, but your existence is pretty funny. You were swinging so hard there, friend, that I thought for sure you wouldn't miss. Then Mister NCR himself walks in and it looks like you'll be sleeping alone tonight."

"I didn't realize I was paying you for your ridiculous observations, and not for the alcohol."

"All I'm saying is, if you're to have any hope of scoring tonight, you should drink a little less and talk a little more. Make it clear he'd rather have you."

"Says the man with a robot fetish; you're the epitome of the lady's man, aren't you?"

Narrowed eyes made Arcade smirk.

James tapped fingers along the bar and nodded. "Well, fine. Let's keep that under wraps. Just consider what I said, if you want to have any hope with your guy over there. Ladies and gents both line up to get in the bed with men in berets like that. Maybe not around here, but that one isn't local, is he?"

It was Arcade's turn to rap his fingers against the counter. "Just get me the drinks, please?" Irritation mixed with a flaring desperation wasn't what he wanted to feel, but here it was. He couldn't keep it out of his voice any more than he could keep from glaring over at Boone's shaved head and stupid hat.

"There you go. Though, that's not enough for the whiskey and water."

"He was-- you're right. Here you go." No way would Boone pay for anyone but himself tonight. Arcade leaned in, put most of his weight on the solid wood between him and James. "And if Boone tries to sneak and pay for either of our drinks, don't let him."

"As long as I get my money, I don't really care." James nodded back towards the table. "Good luck." He lifted a rag, and began to wipe down the bar, though he didn't look away from Arcade and the two behind, seated at the table.

Arcade turned. "I don't need luck. I've got skill."

\---~~~---

"You look ridiculous." It didn't stop Ignacio from drinking his beer and watching Arcade though.

Everyone was watching.

"I look fabulous and you know it." He tossed the whiskey up, caught it by the neck, and poured out a little over a shot for one of his friends. "Besides, I'm just having a good time. That's what you wanted me to do, right?"

Another sip. Ignacio didn't seem to acknowledge it with anything more than that sip.

Fine. Arcade didn't care. He tossed one of the bottles of vodka up in the air, poured it quick, and then added a bit of the Nukacola into the glass as well and slid it over to another.

"So, you're studying to be a doctor." One more sip. "And I'm not."

"Yep." This wasn't the time to have that talk, no it wasn't. Arcade spun a bottle of scotch behind his back and added it to a dubiously clean glass a friend put out for him.

"We'll both graduate soon."

"That's a true statement. Oh, be careful with that one," he handed over an overly full cup of strange canned juice and strong whiskey. It'd taste good, probably, and his friend wasn't complaining as they held the glass aloft and licked away what spilled over the rim.

"Is this perhaps the root of your sudden increase in..." For someone who seemed to always know what to say, Ignacio stared into his amber bottle and lightly swirled it around. "Desperation?"

The heavy bottle was just too wet. There was condensation on the lip and neck, and it wasn't Arcade's fault that it slipped. It wasn't his fault when it spun in the air, almost like he'd done it so easily with the other drinks, and an arc of whiskey beautifully whipped out from within. Amber and gold droplets spread out and shone with the light.

Ignacio held on tightly to his beer. He stood still and blinked once, twice. Finally, he finished off his beer in a few more long sips, then set the bottle down carefully in front of Arcade. "I should get cleaned off."

"You’re right, it could burn the tissue if you’ve got any cuts." It was a numb statement, one that came out even as stark white flushed bright red with embarrassment. Still, he couldn't put much more than shock in his voice. "I'll mop up."

"Perhaps after, we can leave. I'm feeling rather less sociable now." There was a tinge of irritation. Perhaps even anger.

Only Arcade probably knew that after all the time they'd spent together.

He nodded, grim-faced and slow. "Yeah. Absolutely. I'll walk you if you want."

"Alright."

It had not been alright, though things hadn't ended immediately. No, no they hadn't.

\---~~~---

He was older. He could handle alcohol better (he insisted, and James agreed as long as the caps came flowing) and he wasn't nearly as naive. Being 'suave' and serving up the sauce to a room full of people wasn't how to catch his friend's attention. Being loud, boisterous, and obnoxious, no that wasn't it either.

So while a slightly more histrionic part of his brain said he should do something like go on stage and serenade Ignacio until he begged to be taken right there (he was drunk and had an active imagination) he knew that wouldn't do a thing.

Maybe Ignacio really just came to talk. All Arcade's desires to rekindle things, to make things better, to make them make sense instead of how things had left off... Maybe that wasn't it.

It still burned harder in his gut than the whiskey when he saw Ignacio outright laugh to something Boone said.

Boone didn't say funny things. Ignacio didn't laugh easily. This was a goddamn tragedy of the highest order and he didn't have to take it sitting down.

He'd prefer to take Ignacio laying down, all things considered.

"What's funny over here?" Arcade stood behind Boone and leaned in over him to press the beer down before Boone and the water down before his old flame. His hands stayed on the table, just beside the drinks, and he remained in place just behind and around Boone. "Surely you didn't make him laugh like that."

"I did." Boone didn't even turn his head, he just popped the beer open on the end of a worn bottle opener, then placed the opener in a pocket and picked the beer up for a slow sip.

Ignacio smiled, showed those same pretty teeth Arcade remembered. "He informed me about your adventures together."

Oh god. "Which ones?"

"One involving a fire gecko."

"You didn't. No. Boone." He didn't whine, he was pretty certain, but he definitely slouched over the sniper a bit more. Breathed against their neck so they understood his displeasure. Inhaled their rich scent, before he spoke, "It's like you want me telling him all your embarrassing stories."

Ignacio's smile didn't fade. "I wouldn't mind that."

Boone snorted. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I could tell him about the time you were naked in--"

"You promised." The warning came as thick as the alcohol on Arcade's breath. "Don't you go back on a promise."

"Fine. But what about the time in the Lucky 38 when--"

"I wouldn't if I were you." Boone reached back and helped Arcade remove those long arms from around Boone's shoulders and chest. "Just sit down. And maybe sober up. Your breath has me drunk."

"Pfft. I rarely indulge, so why not go a bit over, hmm?"

"Whiskey dick's a problem with any alcohol. You're drinking whiskey." Boone sipped his beer, a bit more stiffly than he might have.

"And you're thinking about my dick?" It came out faster than his brain could rope it back. He shrugged though, as though it weren't an ass thing to say. Ignacio already clearly was more interested in Boone and his shameful stories about Arcade than he was in Arcade himself, so it didn't matter anymore, did it?

Ignacio tapped his chin, rubbed fingers along his face. There came the neck tilt, the reminder of what a lovely neck he had.

God, how many kisses had he placed along that pulse? How many gentle sucks had he bestowed, only to be lightly chided that it was too hot to wear high-necked clothing, and scarves were not something he would wear.

How many times had they sat together under the stars, discussing their dreams and how they wanted to help the world in any way they could?

Arcade felt his tongue distantly, dry and stiff as it was when it played along his bottom lip. He leaned in and reached out towards Ignacio. "Do you still dance?"

"Not nearly as often as I'd like."

"Would you dance with me?"

"I would."

\---~~~---

"I could easily fix your radio."

"I like it how it is." Arcade held his lover close, leaned over into that neck, inhaled his scent. It wasn't strong, but it was pleasant, strangely sweet and musky all in one.

"Are you worried I'll break it?"

Yes. No. Maybe. "Can we wait until this song's over?"

"You can't even hear it through the static. It would be simple to fix it." Ignacio pulled closer to Arcade though, seemed to relax against Arcade's chest. His head rested right between the pectorals.

"Do you really want to stop dancing?"

"Hmm. No..."

"Then be quiet and let me hold you."

"What a way with words." There came that by then familiar tease, just the slightest hitch up in tone.

Arcade ran long fingers down his spine and cupped at his ass. "I've got a way with my fingers too, or so you say."

"You're... filthy at times."

"Mmm, you could clean me up later, if you want. I managed to get water working in the house."

Ignacio muttered something low against Arcade's chest, but his own hands reached down Arcade's back from their normal position at his shoulders. Though those fingers didn't stroke quite as boldly as Arcade's, they certainly were more erotic in the spiraling patterns he traced along the small of Arcade's back.

"What was that, Snookums?" He said it with a bold grin and waited patiently for Ignacio to look up with irritation.

It worked. Ignacio huffed. "That's a ridiculous name. And also, you're incorrigible."

"But that's why you love me."

Love.

They'd made love that night, for the first time. There, right under the stars. The radio had stayed on, full of static, and Ignacio hadn't said another thing about it.

In the morning, the radio was fixed and Ignacio woke him up with breakfast.

Breakfast only partially made up for how Ignacio had allowed him to stay outside in the growing sunlight until he burned worse than a newborn. He'd seen actual newborns less red and blotchy than he was then.

Ignacio had tended to him with aloe though, nursed him back to his normal complexion, with nary a complaint. Well, that wasn't true. He'd complained a lot, but that was part of the charm.

\---~~~---

"You stepped on my foot."

"You walked your foot under mine. It's not my fault you're out of practice." Arcade pulled his flame closer, inhaled that scent that hadn't changed a bit for all the years between them, and he ignored Boone and James as hard as he could for as long as he could. All that mattered was this dance.

"I should get you a water."

"Ah, are you trying to sober me up too?"

"Yes."

"And why's that?"

"Boone made a salient point." Ignacio extracted himself from Arcade, just as the song ended. "I'll get us both some water."

And away he walked, with a much more steady footing than Arcade's own.

What point had Boone made again? That his breath alone was enough to make another drunk?

Arcade cupped his hand and breathed into it, and a moment later grinned a little at how silly that was. Of course, it wouldn't smell any more than just breathing did. How ridiculous. He shrugged it off as though no one had seen (James and Boone weren't looking, he told himself) and ambled back over to Boone.

Boone nodded.

Arcade nodded.

Ignacio returned with water for them all.

Arcade narrowed his eyes at Boone's water, and the way Boone drank it without a word. Head tipped back, lips wet against the glass, throat bulging and pulling with every needy, yet casual, sip.

Boone drank the water faster than the beer. Little droplets slid down his stubbled chin, along the contours of his neck.

It took him a minute to realize he was staring, and by then both of the others seemed to have noticed, although neither said a thing.

He chugged half his own water.

\---~~~---

Boone actually seemed to relax when he swam. There was no heavy fixed gaze of consternation, no errant glances over shoulders, no brusque comments that everything was fine with a heavy dose of don't bother asking again anytime soon.

No, Boone just swam. Better still, he didn't want to get his underthings wet, so he swam nude. He'd been so quick and casual to take everything off and leave it on the dock, Arcade almost didn't spot Boone before he dove in and gracefully stroked his arms through the water.

Arcade didn't stare for more than a moment, after which he tugged his own clothes off, folded them near Boone's and dove in after.

There was no idyllic splashing and water time fun or playing around. It was simply a shared physicality, both of them swimming through the lake and enjoying the exercise that cooled them off even as it heated them up under the summer sun.

They swam partly out into Lake Mead together and just remained upright and paddling in the middle for a bit, silently enjoying a camaraderie formed between two who put up with a lot of shit in their pursuit of making New Vegas a better place.

It would have felt romantic, almost, if it were anyone else. But with Boone, it was just equal parts confusing and pleasant.

"I used to swim all the time as a kid." Boone looked at the water, seemed focused on the softly shimmering waves and the reflected sunlight.

"Really? I never swam until I was an adult. I enjoy it, but it's certainly nothing I ever got used to."

Boone nodded.

If there was a story, it wasn't coming. Boone remained as quiet at before.

Finally, Arcade turned back towards the docks and started on the trip back. The last thing he needed was to feel vulnerable emotionally, be vulnerable physically, and be attacked by lakelurks. He'd almost prefer a physical attack though, to any more silence after he interrupted a potential story time.

Boone followed though he said nothing. He continued with those graceful long arm strokes and those quiet kicks with tightly muscled legs.

Arcade definitely didn't notice, he definitely didn't look.

He didn't notice the dock as more than a splotch of brownish colors set above shimmering blue and reflected yellow. Without his glasses, which he'd left beside his clothing, he couldn't see a thing clearly.

Boone could. "The clothes are gone."

Arcade squinted, attempted to see if Boone was teasing him (unlikely but preferable) or if it was the truth. "They fell, or we left them further up the dock."

"No." Boone overtook arcade in a burst of energetic strokes, his arms and legs less focused on being quiet than on speed. "They're not there."

No clothes.

Some dumb kids cackled nearby, behind the dilapidated shack. Their laughter was barely subdued by their own stage whispered shushes.

Boone was first to pull himself out of the water. Arms grabbed with ease at the edge of the dock, and out Boone went, majestic as he'd dove in.

Not that Arcade watched. Not that he noticed. He was too far away to see Boone as anything more than mostly tanned fleshy colors anyway. He didn't attempt to follow suit, he simply swam up to the edge of the water and stepped out bit by bit until he was free of all the water but what droplets that clung to his skin. "Don't hurt them if they're still kids like they sound."

"I'm not," Boone said, in a restrained tone that very much suggested this was a soon-to-be lie, "as long as they give our clothes back. Now."

Even without glasses, he could appreciate the curves on Boone's body. On his pale bottom.

He was allowed to enjoy how men looked, purely aesthetically, right? There was no law against it-- well, alright, there were likely plenty of laws in plenty of places that at the very least frowned on him noticing Boone, but they lived in a backward time and place.

He stepped closer. "I'd honestly settle for glasses at this point."

"The better to see your boyfriend with?" Definitely a kid. Well, teenager obviously. Their voice was just pitchy enough that it was someone who hadn't yet grown into their body. "Come over here and grab them."

Boone sighed.

Arcade couldn't see him well enough to see the expression or anything other than the suggestion of a shoulder roll. It was enough that Boone made his feelings so obviously known in just one exhale.

Boone was ready to fight.

The only problem seemed to be the kids that now moved around from behind the shack. They were about a foot shorter than Arcade, and that honestly said all it needed to. Early to middle teens, definitely none older than 16 or so by their voices, their immaturity, and their height.

Boone stepped forward. "Give us our clothes."

The 'or else' didn't come out, but Arcade nearly shivered from the tone.

"Or what?" Oh, it was that same one that had mocked Arcade for wanting his glasses.

Oh, how idiotic young men could be.

Arcade stepped forward, attempted to let his nearsightedness give him a better understanding of just exactly how to deal with the brats. "Do you make a habit of stealing the clothes of nude men?" To watch their expressions, it was clear that no. No, they didn't.

Arcade advanced further until he could see the sweat on their foreheads until he noticed clearly how they shifted from foot to foot, nervous or uncomfortable for whatever reason. He could guess. "May I offer a suggestion?" He didn't give them more than a second before he continued, "Tease one another with 'pranks' like that. Don't find strange men and hope they're not killers when you steal their clothes as a 'joke'. And if you really want to see older men nude, go to Freeside. I understand there is at least one pleasant older man you could go enjoy the company of if you had the caps."

He could see Boone's face go from stern to amused. It held tight, as though nothing of note had been said, but Arcade noticed the way it shifted just slightly around the corners of the mouth, and around the eyes.

There was a scrambling coupled with an exchange of mumbles. Soon enough, one darted back behind the shack and returned with the clothes and Arcade's glasses.

He didn't watch them run off towards who even knew where. He got dressed quickly enough and did all he could not to directly stare when Boone leisurely dressed in front of him, as though they hadn't just been in an uncomfortable situation.

\---~~~---

It took him a minute to realize both of them seemed to have noticed his stares, although neither said a thing.

It was the alcohol, and they were both right. No more alcohol. No beer, no cocktails, no shots of anything. Water it was, for the rest of the night. He nodded, content with his decision, and set the glass down with a heavy thud.

"You must really be thirsty." Such an innocent statement.

Arcade attempted to not act defensively. "Boone drank his faster." He failed.

"You're licking your lips a lot." Ignacio trailed the rim of his own glass with his finger, then ran it along down the side and lifted the glass.

"Must be the alcohol."

"Oh, is that what it is?" A sliver of a smirk, and then Ignacio raised the glass and sipped his own water calmly, like a reasonable person.

\---~~~---

"Drink some water, you need to stay hydrated."

"Says the not-a-doctor." Arcade didn't fight the beer being switched out for water though, so long as he could snuggle into them.

"To the newly-a-doctor, yes." Ignacio wrapped his arm around Arcade's shoulders, tugged him closer.

Warm breath puffed out along Arcade's curly hair and he grinned up into those pretty brown eyes. "You... you have nice breathing."

He hadn't always been someone who drank so much. Once, he'd even determined that alcohol was terrible and only the worst people drank it. Sure, he'd been 13 and also a fool then, but in a different way. That wasn't the point.

Ignacio chuckled, his chest rumbled against Arcade's head. "I believe that's the oddest compliment I've ever received."

"Good. I wouldn't want someone outdoing me on any front when it comes to you."

"Is that right?"

"Mmhmm."

"We'll likely be going elsewhere for the Followers."

Oh, sneaky bastard. Suggest Arcade booze up after he'd been good for a month, and then discuss it again. Arcade huffed but snuggled closer. Held him tighter. "No."

"What use do doctor camps have for engineers? For mechanical scientists? For men like myself?"

He wouldn't beg. He wouldn't. It wouldn't do any good anyway.

Wasn't this always how it happened? He felt something strong, like all the right things were happening, and for once he deserved to be happy, and then something took it away?

Sometimes, men almost discovered his past, sometimes they found someone better, and sometimes the very organization that brought them together tore him apart.

He shut his eyes and listened to that nice breathing, paid attention to the little pitter patters of that big heart he'd grown to like so much.

"I could be very helpful in a camp full of guys like you." Despite the seriousness, he couldn't help but imagine a camp full of dry-witted, beautiful, stoic men like Ignacio. God, that would be worth all the torments of the world if he could even spend a day there.

"I'm sure. But we'll have very little say about where we get put. It would be extremely difficult to stay together when we graduate."

As if Arcade didn't know it. As if he hadn't thought of it.

He drank his water. He stayed there, cuddled against his lover, sharply aware that he was saying goodbye.

Daisy always said don't say goodbye. Say I'll see you later. I'll see you soon. Never tempt fate that way.

In the morning, he cooked Ignacio breakfast, kissed him on the lips, and said he'd see him later.

\---~~~---

"Is something wrong?" Ignacio's voice came across softer than usual, but it still startled Arcade from his thoughts.

He glanced between the two, then shrugged. "No."

Boone's input came in the form of an arched brow.

"Everything's fine." He tried to tamp it down, certain as he was that they'd both immediately call his bluff with that little phrase. It didn't take a genius to know everything was wrong when someone said that. Neither one was stupid, either.

But still, what a surprise that both remained silent.

He stood up, unsteady but working hard to keep the wobble away. "I should go. I'll see you soon."

"I remember the last time you said that."

He didn't look at that beautiful face, he didn't need to see how soft it would look even as accusing words came out. "Do you?"

"You made me poached eggs."

"Your favorite."

"They never tasted the same way twice."

He might think of it as a complaint, but it wasn't. That was just how it was between them, wasn't it? He smiled and glanced over his shoulder. "But you still ate them."

"I enjoyed them."

"I didn't say I'll see you soon. I said I'll see you later."

"What's the difference?"

He turned fully, looked Ignacio in those pretty brown eyes. "Well, they're both better than a goodbye. Later meant someday, and I was right. Soon means... tomorrow, if you like."

A nod. "I'd like that. Though, perhaps we shouldn't drink then. I don't think my body enjoys it as much as it used to."

Arcade grinned and cocked his head. "Really? Your body ever enjoyed it?"

"Moderately, I suppose."

"Oh, like maybe that one time--"

"I don't recall."

"When you and--"

"That doesn't ring a bell."

"With the bighorner?"

There came the flush, and it hadn't been there just a moment before, so no alcohol could be blamed. "I don't know what you're referring to."

"Well, maybe I'll tell Boone about it later." A gentle tap on Boone's shoulders, that turned to a light rub. He tried to stand upright, but once he was tilted over Boone, it was a bit difficult to fully rise.

"I'd prefer you not."

"He told about the fire geckos. I think it's only fair we all have our embarrassing stories. And oh, I remember that one like it's a mental holotape."

"Ah. Well, if you're determined to tell it, I think perhaps I'll have a busy two weeks and--"

"Oh, no, you're not getting out of it. It's a date. Tomorrow. We could... meet in front of the Lucky 38. I spend some time there, in between everything."

"Ah. I suppose if I must."

"You must." He stepped around the table and placed a hand on Ignacio's back. Felt how warm he was, how soft and pleasant his body was. "Say, around 8?"

"That would be fine."

He didn't even consider how he'd left Boone and Ignacio together alone, until he was already in bed and undressed. There, he didn't find himself nearly as upset as he had been only about an hour before. No, quite the opposite.


	2. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily gives Arcade a gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving...

"And there's yours, sweetheart." Lily pat him on the head, the same as she always did when she got the chance. She didn't think he was her Jimmy, but she definitely had a sweet spot for him, for all the times he'd visited on his own accord.

He smiled up at her, "Thank you, Lily. This is very good coffee."

"Well, I made it special for you. I heard you have a big night planned tonight."

Very good, very hot coffee that almost forced itself through his nostrils and sprayed his pancakes. He choked it down and coughed into his fist. "C-come again?"

"That's half the problem, Arcade." Cass leaned back in her chair, eyed him with such a vicious grin across the table. "Lily here wouldn't want you to come, again, without the birds and the bees talk."

Lily laughed, in harsh puffs, and pat him on the back. "Now, now, don't talk like that, Dear. But..."

Oh god. No no no. He'd been tricked. Everyone was so nice, but he'd forgotten why he'd been so suspicious of Boone the day before. He glared over at Boone. Boone had been there as a trick, probably sent there by their intrepid courier friend, Gary. The others, Arcade would just shove outside, but no, not Boone. Boone he dealt with (in lots of ways) and that was the downfall, wasn't it?

Boone, the tricky ass, looked a bit sheepish. He shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't think they'd react like this."

"You didn't-- are you kidding me? Well, just give them an itemized list of my exes after this, and we'll just have a... a..." Far too frazzled to continue his rant, he sipped at his coffee and barely felt warmed by it anymore. Oh, he was beyond steamed.

To think, he'd thought such nice things about Boone before going to bed. Nice... nice things.

Veronica giggled into her own coffee, she couldn't even hide the shoulder shakes or the soft little laughs that bubbled out into the mug.

Lily tsked, though to who was anyone's guess. "Now now, settle down everyone. Arcade, I know you have your feelings and emotions, and I understand you have needs."

No, please, no. He cut his pancakes up with a tin fork and butterknife and looked anywhere but at her. "Lily. I am 35 years old. I am not a virgin."

"Well! Of course, I know that, sweetheart. But there are social diseases to think about, and I just want to remind you to be safe. That's how you stay alive as long as I have!"

He didn't reply, 'I imagine being a nightkin helps with the longevity' because he had not been raised a brute. He simply ate his delicious, fluffy, perfect pancake and focused on how he was going to single-handedly make every single other person present pay, aside from Lily (he wouldn't blame her for their torment of him.)

"So, I bought you something!"

Here it came. A little package, and God he did not want to open it.

He opened it.

Condoms. Hundreds upon of them. More than he could use in a year, even if he took up a full-time job at the Wrangler. Hell, even at Gomorrah, he'd have a hard time filling so many.

Oh, he definitely flushed brighter than the jam she'd put on his pancakes. "Lily."

"Yes, honey?"

"This is very thoughtful, thank you very much."

"Now, you know how to use those, right?"

"I am a doctor, yes. I am quite aware of how to use prophylactics of all types."

"Good boy. I can't wait to meet this lucky man!"

Nope. "I would very much appreciate it if you all waited until at least a second date before crowding around me and asking questions while he's here."

"Isn't it your second date tonight?" There came Cass again, smug as she was working off a hangover with a shot of whiskey hidden in her juice.

Arcade smirked. "Lily, oh my dear Lily. Do you happen to know if we have any more jam?"

"Oh, my growing boys like their sweets, don't they! I'll get you some more."

He didn't bother to look back, he simply listened to her tromping steps and nodded in satisfaction when he heard her in the kitchen pulling open cupboard doors, despite how the jam was right there on the table. He only felt a tiny tug of guilt at making her look when her vision was so poor lately.

He stood. "I could make every one of your deaths look like an accident."

Snickers turned silent. Much like they had that day by the lake with the boys.

He felt that same draw of satisfaction in his stomach and nodded. "But I won't. This works out for me. I get a lovely gift, a date with a wonderful man, and the entire Lucky 38 all to myself until midnight. I feel quite blessed, you know, to have such good, considerate friends who are going to stay away. A group of friends that are going to keep Lily away. You're all such a kind, considerate bunch, that doesn't want to die of any number of nasty preventable diseases."

He reached for the jam and sat back down. "Sorry, Lily! I found the jam!"

"Oh, heavens, I was worried I was losing my mind, I just couldn't find it. Leo told me to smash up the kitchen again, but I wouldn't want to make a mess."

He looked to the table. "Well, no, we wouldn't want that. Why don't you come back in and we can all have a nice breakfast together."

In she ran, and down she sat in her special metal chair. Raul had built it just for her and it suited her well in her position at the end of the table, right where she could see all her sweeties.

Arcade drank his coffee and ate his pancakes in peace. He kept the box of condoms right in front of him, and never moved it or put it anywhere. Let them be the uncomfortable ones. He was in a fantastic mood.

He'd have the entire place to himself, guaranteed.

\---~~~---

"You're not seriously wearing that shirt, are you? I mean, my standard fare is baggy, brown, and kind of crusty, but even I wouldn't wear that."

"What's wrong with it?" Why bother? He buttoned the top button in the mirror and pointedly did not look at her.

"Well, for starters, you've got four separate bloodstains on it."

"I'm a doctor. And if I recall, you're at least two of those bloodstains. Maybe you should be more careful when you're punching."

"Maybe the people I punch shouldn't ask to be punched so hard, did you ever think about that?"

He adjusted the button again, unsure if he should button the top one, or leave it a bit open. "No, I haven't. Because that's ridiculous." He finally turned to her. "Unless you've got a very nice non-feminine shirt hidden away in your things that would also fit my shoulders, this is the shirt I'm wearing."

"What about one of Boone's?"

Cass inhaled her whiskey in laughter. "Right. That'd go great. Hey, Boone, can I borrow one of your shirts before I go and get laid with another man?"

"Boone has that one nice shirt... You know, the one with the stripes?" Veronica stayed with her point, even though Arcade was already way beyond their banter and looking into if a tie would be too much.

"Yeah, if you want to meet a guy's parents maybe. It's not the shirt you wear on a first or second date with someone you only want to bang."

"You don't know anything about what I want." He decided against the tie and set it back down. Ties didn't really work with him anyway. They always made him look much taller than he already was and that was usually a no.

"C'mon, you're telling me you don't want to have your wicked way with the guy? The way I heard it, you were practically mounting him there in the Wrangler."

He'd have to thank Boone again when this was all done. Oh, all the little ways he could thank Boone... "Wanting that, and still respecting a person, are not mutually exclusive. Though, I suppose you wouldn't know that, would you?" Maybe it was harsher than he usually was. Maybe he didn't care. "Shouldn't you be gone soon anyway?"

"What's the rush? Date's not until 8, right? I've got at least a half hour to clear out or I risk getting dysentery or whatever other disease you've probably got bottled up somewhere." The morning's fear had evaporated somewhat, but evidently not entirely. She did seem to gather up her things a bit faster.

"Hmm. I suppose--" He glanced towards a commotion in the hallway, cut himself off with the sounds of Lily and Boone's voices.

"Oh, you're such a good boy. I'm so glad you're going with me to the store."

"Of course."

"Such a sweetheart." She patted him on the head and kept right on down the hallway.

Arcade glanced over the Veronica. "The striped shirt, right? You think he'd like that better?"

"If he's got eyes, yeah. He... does have eyes right? I'd feel really bad if I just teased him about it if he was blind."

Cass opened her mouth.

"Don't you start Cass. He's not blind." He pointed a finger towards Cass, a final warning before he grinned back over at Veronica and nodded. "He's probably got better eyesight than I do."

"What a surprise." Cass pulled a bag up over her shoulder and stepped on towards the door. "I'm out. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Which, lucky for you and that big ol' box of rubbers, isn't a whole lot."

Veronica giggled into her hand. "Oh man, you're definitely planning to do things she wouldn't."

"Well, for one thing, I think I might try on that shirt. He owes me." And off towards Boone's area, he went.

"Well, I should probably go too. Cass promised me we'd have a nice time at Gomorrah and I think Dazzle's really warming up to me."

"She's warming up to the caps!" Cass called out over her shoulder, from somewhere down the hall. "But don't let that stop you. It's never stopped me on long lonely nights..."

Veronica grinned anyway, nodded once more, "Definitely borrow his shirt," then darted towards the doorway in one of her new dresses, courtesy of having cleaned out the White Glove Society.

When they were all gone and he was alone for the first time of the day, he looked at himself in the dusty mirror and grinned. Oh, this was a good shirt. He could see why Boone had it. 

\---~~~---

"Oh, you're such a good helper."

Boone carried all of the groceries and other assorted things she'd picked up at Mick & Ralph's. He did so without complaint, even when a few bags in the top threatened to topple.

Towards the Lucky 38, they went, before Boone froze and glanced up at Lily. "It must be after eight by now."

"What's that dear?"

"Arcade wanted to be alone for his date."

"Oh, I'm sure he did, that naughty man." She chuckled all the same and waved the concern off. "It'll be fine, he'll barely notice we're there."

"I could take these the rest of the way up. I need to get my rifle for after anyway."

Hands on her hips, she looked down at him through her goggles with an intensity that still couldn't be missed.

Boone held his ground. "I know where to put everything."

"Well, if you insist, but I feel most comfortable putting things away myself." She sighed, something that shook through her full body, then nodded. "Alright, deary, you go have fun and I'll go see where Raul went to. That man can't keep himself out of trouble!" Another chuckle and she bounded off towards the gate once more.

"He mentioned the Atomic Wrangler."

"Oh, thanks for the hint, sweetie!"

That, at least, would keep Lily and Raul busy for a while. Cass and Veronica would be gone likely all night if Cass had her way and Veronica had enough caps. Between them all, it would be unlikely anyone would barge into the date immediately.

Satisfied, he headed on into the Lucky 38 and pushed past the musty smell of the casino floor until he was at the elevator. Victor had once sounded out where they were headed, like an old time bellhop, Arcade had said. But Victor was no more, so Boone was left putting the bags down and pressing the buttons himself.

Arcade had done nothing more than read a dusty magazine once and he hadn't even heard Boone call for him directly from a few feet away. So long as Arcade was busy chatting, he wouldn't even hear the elevator ding.

There was definitely a nice conversation going nearby. It was a bit muffled, likely some low flirtation and teasing like he'd seen the night before. He couldn't hide the smile, he had no reason to, really. It didn't take a genius to know Arcade would get laid and he was happy for the guy.

Boone strode quietly through the hall towards the kitchen.

"Your tongue is... decadent." Ignacio's unmistakable voice dipped low, sounded breathless. "Please, don't stop."

Well. It was still a conversation.

He could just barely see them, Ignacio bent over the pool table, Arcade crouched behind him and enthusiastic about what he was doing.

Boone held still in the hallway, unwilling, or unable, to move any further to put the bags away. Which was a problem, because there were a few perishable items inside the brown paper and last time he'd dallied to get groceries home she'd scolded him for ten minutes. Halfway into the scolding, she'd even forgotten what she was upset about and just puffed up and put things away herself.

"Oh, I missed you," then Ignacio buried his face against his arm and let out a quiet moan.

Arcade pressed a kiss along one thigh, then mirrored the kiss on the other thigh, before he licked along the expanse of skin and worked his way back up to where his fingers pressed into Ignacio. He pulled back from the kiss for a moment, and pushed three fingers in deep, right up to the last knuckle. "You could ask for more, you know. I'd give you anything you asked for."

Fingers seemed to tease. They pushed just a bit deeper, then pulled back and squirmed about, just barely still held inside.

"I won't beg."

"No one asked for you to beg." Arcade lifted himself from his knees with the help of his free hand on the edge of the pool table. Something cracked, but he ignored it. "Just admit you want it. I'd give it to you in an instant."

"And be done just as quickly. No, I prefer this foreplay to a quick finish."

Oh, that got a reaction. Even though he could only see Arcade from behind and the side a bit, it was obvious. Arcade's shoulders set back.

Arcade pushed those fingers deeper, even teased the pinky. "Oh, well, if I'm so quick perhaps you'd prefer someone else?"

He could see the barest of smirks on Ignacio's lips, even as he buried most of his face into his arms. "Is that what you're so possessive about?"

"I don't know what you're referring to." In went the pinky, slick as its siblings and ready to stretch Ignacio.

"Mmm. I know when you're jealous. The moment you spotted him, you acted like you did that one night."

"Still, this isn't ringing a single bell." Arcade began to work his fingers deeper, in smooth slow strokes. "You'll have to remind me."

"Your friend Boone? You acted like we were in college again."

"Mmm. Me, jealous of Boone? Never."

"You say--you say that." Ignacio shifted and thrust against the table. His breath caught in his throat, and he moaned more fully against his arm. "Damn it, Arcade."

"Oh, do you not like this? I thought you liked foreplay." There came the teasing, the little hiccup of irritation gone.

"If you're going to do something, do it. I don't intend to wait all night."

"Do you want me inside of you? Do you want me to make you soar? To bring you to new heights of ecstasy?"

"And here I thought that your advanced age might temper your vainglorious behavior."

Arcade snorted and tugged his fingers free in one short motion. "Please, one year older doesn't make me 'advanced' in age. If you're so ageist, why don't--"

"Please. I want you inside me. Now stop teasing me, I've only so much patience."

"Of course, I'll just-- damn it."

"What?" Ignacio briefly looked over his left shoulder at Arcade.

"I knew I'd forgotten something. I put the condom in my other shirt pocket."

"You... have one, don't you?"

"Of course, I have a whole box, courtesy of my nosy housemates. I'll just--"

Both of them seemed to see him immediately. Just one turn and as a pair, they seemed to lock their gaze onto his.

Suddenly Boone felt more than prepared to move on over into the kitchen. With quick and forcibly casual steps he moved to the fridge and began to put away the produce and other perishables.

"Boone?" It was quiet. "Boone?" Singsong now. Arcade was clearly feeling something very strong, so strong he tried to put it all back into calm.

Boone hurried. There went the stale cereal, there went the noodles. Into this cupboard went the Fancy Lad cakes. He squeezed maybe a bit too hard putting that one away and a shiny plastic-wrapped cake fell out of the end, smushed.

Oh well. He put it into the fridge, then pivoted and headed back towards the living areas.

"Boone. What exactly brings you home?" There was that same warning tone, almost pleasant if he didn't know Arcade.

He grabbed his gun and headed towards the elevator. He was glad there was no Victor anymore. He hadn't liked the forced robotic friendliness. But waiting for the elevator to arrive without Victor was arguably more distressing when he heard quick buttons and footsteps move towards the rec room doorway.

He didn't look at either of them. "Don't mind me." He fingered at his gun, turned his entire everything towards the guest bedroom, instead of towards them. "I was putting the groceries away."

"Oh, well, if that's all, by all means. It's not as though that could wait."

Boone didn't look at Arcade, but he could imagine the posture that accompanied the comment. Likely, he was leaned up against the doorway. Likely, he tried to seem collected and calm in front of his date, while he wanted to tear Boone up, verbally and perhaps literally. Though, Arcade really was more likely to do something sneaky, like give someone botulism or something.

Followers of the Apocalypse pacifist, Boone's ass. Arcade could get downright deadly when he wanted to.

Boone sighed relief when the elevator signaled it was there.

The heat was to blame for how he sweat and he brushed some of it out of his eyes and away from his brow.

"So, what's the rifle for?" Arcade stepped closer, his boots loud even against the worn carpet.

Boone clutched it, "I'm going deathclaw hunting after this."

"After spying on us when I asked you all to be gone for just a few hours out of the night?"

Spying. He huffed and turned about. No one could accuse-- oh. No, they hadn't really put their clothes on. Ignacio was barely put together, with his shirt still unbuttoned almost halfway, and his hair all mussed up, and Arcade was... "Is that my shirt?"

Arcade took a moment to swallow, though it didn't seem to go down well. "What?"

"That's the shirt Veronica made me get."

"And she told me to borrow it."

"You broke the buttons."

"No, the buttons aren't broke. They're just... missing. I planned to sew them back on later."

The guilty look was nearly the same on both faces. Ignacio glanced down at the ground, as though there were something interesting to see on his shoes, while Arcade looked the few feet up to the ceiling, like the spot there was important.

He huffed again. "Fine. Fix it and give it back later. I'll count us even."

"Even? For you coming back right after you left?"

Why wouldn't the damn door open? Was it jammed? He'd wait a minute and if it didn't open, he'd just pry it open and get in. Like hell did he plan to stick around and get scolded by a half naked man wearing his own damn shirt.

Even if it looked actually pretty decent on Arcade.

"Oh, you're going to ignore me now. How convenient."

"I just want to go. There are deathclaws to hunt."

Arcade stepped into his space. Arcade didn't seem to understand the sorts of boundaries near-naked men should have with others.

Boone pushed his sunglasses up his nose and focused on the door. Any moment it would open. Any moment, he could shove Arcade away and let them have their good times together.

Ignacio again, "Perhaps the door's jammed."

No, he would not allow that to be the case. "I've got a crowbar under my bed."

"Of course you do." Arcade stepped closer, unbearably close to Boone. Inches away.

Boone swallowed. He did not look at their face to see their fury. He looked down a bit. The lines really made Arcade look taller, and the way the shirt parted mid-chest helped show definition Boone might not have noticed otherwise. All their trekking around the Mojave had really helped Arcade fill out lately. He looked more muscular than he had when they'd gone swimming.

"I could fix it." Ignacio beside them. "It shouldn't take long."

"Well, the date's already off track." Arcade slumped against the wall next to the door and hit his elbow against the button in the last show of defiance.

Arcade crossed his arms and didn't look at anyone. Green eyes seemed to focus on something in the distance.

Boone sighed. "Well, at least it was me that came up here and not Lily."

"Lily?" Ignacio tilted his head towards Boone.

"Oh no, Lily wanted to come up here?"

"I had to convince her I could put things away."

Arcade stiffened, then snorted out loud and buried his face in his hands. He laughed, full and loud. "I can't even be mad at you then. Can you... can you imagine Lily walking in on that?"

"I can't. I don't know her." Ignacio looked between Boone and Arcade.

Boone grinned, then shrugged. "If you'd rather she come up next time..."

"No, this is fine. Under the bed, that's where the crowbar is?" Arcade pushed from the wall and moved towards the guest room.

Nope. Boone strode quickly past him. "No, I'll get it. You stay with him, it's your date."

"No, it's fine. I don't care. Especially if you spared me Lily tromping about and making comments. I love her, you know I do, but I can't think of a less erotic thing happening."

Arcade had long legs and he walked far too fast. Just like that, he bent over and reached around for the crowbar. "What's this?"

"Nothing. It's not under the bed. I moved it to the footlocker. I forgot."

"Is this a Latin book?"

"If I'm going to hunt Legion, I should know what they're saying. It's tactical. That's all."

"Oh, you couldn't possibly be learning it to know what I say on occasion, could you?"

"Of course not."

Arcade glanced from Boone, back behind him to where Ignacio stood. He lifted the book. "You know, if you wanted to learn Latin, I could teach you. I'm decent enough at teaching others."

He swallowed, but it barely went down. "I'll go get the crowbar now." He unlatched the locker, popped it open, and pulled out the crowbar before Arcade or Ignacio could look into what he had hidden away. That was his, not theirs.

Boone pivoted once more and turned towards the door.

"I could teach you lots of things, Boone. Latin, poetry, the finer--"

"No thank you, I'm fine with what I know." He did not push past Ignacio, but he definitely did not look at them and did not wait for them to move aside before he squeezed through the doorway. On his way out, he put the crowbar by the elevator, then kept right on walking, down the hall and to the left.

He needed a drink. The rec room had alcohol. The rec room had a lot of alcohol. Thank God for Cass.

Once more, muffled conversations carried from nearby, but this time he did not smile. This time he poured a double of Cass' moonshine (she owed him) and went to work. He wouldn't get drunk, he still had deathclaws to destroy, but he needed the edge gone.

\---~~~---

"That went rather well." Ignacio glanced back towards where Boone had retreated. "I honestly couldn't have hoped for a better start to our date."

"Oh, shove it."

"I'm being sincere. It reminds me quite a lot of many of our earlier dates. Your roommate had such a way of getting into things."

Arcade managed a grin. Well, said like that, he could see the resemblance. He stepped closer, the book still in hand. "He tells me that my Latin is 'Legion bullshit' all the time you know."

"I could see how someone who doesn't know it might think that."

"He thinks it harder than anyone else I know. So this is a mystery." He tossed the book onto the neatly made bed, then turned back towards his lover.

"Is it really?"

"Isn't it?"

Ignacio arched a brow, then walked back towards the elevator. "I never particularly wanted to learn Latin you know."

"What? You loved that class."

"I met you in that class."

Oh.

Ignacio always worked fast and Arcade was happy to watch him at work. There was something pleasant about the way their body moved and arched when he had a job to do. It was sensual, in a very strange way.

Ignacio lay back finally and nodded. "It should work."

Quickly, Arcade stepped down the hall and peeked into the rec room. "The elevator's fixed now, you can go."

Boone blinked. He glanced up from a full glass of water and eyed Arcade. His gaze shifted to the pool table. "I probably should wait until I'm sober." Boone crossed his legs, turned away from Arcade and Ignacio.

"You can't be too drunk yet, can you? Scratch that, yes, you could be. You're not planning on sticking around for another date, are you?" He stomped forward, ready to help Boone up and at least get him down to the casino floor. What he did there, Arcade didn't care. But he needed to go.

"We could always go and--" Sweet considerate Ignacio.

"No, I don't know how often a chance to be entirely alone in here will come along, and I'm not letting him ruin it just because he's drunk. Now, alley-oop and let's get you down--" Well. Boone certainly was up.

He couldn't say too much, between the three of them, they'd all been in various states of 'up' in the last half hour.

Boone turned away again, this time towards the pool table. "It's fine, I'll go."

Ok, he shouldn't say too much, "Having difficulties there, Boone?" But he could. And he would.

"Nope."

"I'm a doctor and a man, and I can tell you are."

That got a look. A delightfully irritated look. Boone stepped closer. "Coming from you. You had such difficulties you went up against a pool table. There are perfectly good beds in the guest room."

"Admit it, if you could get away with having sex on a pool table, you would. You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

Boone reached for his rifle and headed towards the door.

"Or maybe that's the problem? Did thinking about us, splayed out over the pool table, give you a hard time?"

"And what if it did?" Boone stilled.

Everything was tense, thick and heavy like downstairs the first time Arcade had entered the building.

Arcade looked to Ignacio, peered into those brilliant brown eyes.

Ignacio touched his face, seemed to have a bit more difficult of a time keeping still.

Arcade grinned. "Well, I don't know. Maybe we could give you a repeat performance. Make you realize what you were missing when you so rudely interrupted us."

Inhale. Exhale. Boone tightened and loosened his grip on the rifle, then turned and set it carefully against the wall. "Alright. But if you try to make me beg, I'm walking."

Fair. Boone didn't seem like the begging type anyway. 

\---~~~---

"You know, you could help." Arcade didn't bother to look back at the table. He knew Boone was transfixed with what was going on. "We wouldn't be half naked and working each other over like this in front of you if you weren't invited to assist."

Ignacio ground back against those fingers. "A bit less banter and a bit more-- yes there."

Arcade leaned fully over Ignacio, put one hand on their shoulder and rubbed so softly, while the other kept focused on the task of getting them all worked up and stretched out. "You want him to come join us, don't you?"

"You're the one that invited him."

"That's not a no. I saw how you looked at him yesterday. And tonight. Don't act like you don't want him over here, breathing in your ear. Helping you up, pressing his chest against yours. Kissing your neck..." It wasn't difficult to pull up these thoughts when he'd gone to sleep thinking similar things.

Near them, Boone shifted in his seat.

A moment later, Boone was up, right behind Arcade, each hand pressed against the side of the pool table, and nothing but his breath touching Arcade's body. But oh, he was so close, he almost did touch.

Arcade didn't moan, he didn't. He hadn't even been touched yet, he certainly wasn't going to moan. But he did give a gasp, clearly surprised by Boone's presence. That was all.

Boone pressed up against Arcade. "You are the one that invited me. I wouldn't want to... intrude." Maybe. But his length certainly did, barely held in by those pants and pressed up against Arcade's ass.

Ignacio clawed at the table. "Don't stop moving, Arcade. Do something."

He understood, suddenly, what it was like to be between a rock and a hard place. He leaned into his rock and nipped at that neck. He had a comment, ready and raring, but Boone pressed up harder against him.

Oh, he didn't mind this at all. Yes, this was fine. Arcade pulled his fingers out and reached slowly up for the condom Ignacio had placed on the green felt. "Are you ready?"

A huff, a nod, and that was more than likely all Ignacio could offer right then. His brain always shut down a bit when he got closer. Even a sentence could be too much, sometimes.

Arcade glanced back at Boone, grinned just a bit, and pulled himself out of his pants. "How about you?"

"Would I be here if I weren't?" Green eyes were freed from the tyranny of indoor sunglasses and Arcade could enjoy how nice they actually looked, even if Boone was teasing him.

"Just checking." It didn't take long before he pulled on the condom, and lined himself on up with Ignacio. Ever so slowly, he dipped in.

"You're so... slow. Hurry up."

"I thought I was the quick one, not you." Arcade gripped his ass in one hand, delighted in how firm it still was, and scratched lightly at his shoulders and back with the other.

There went Ignacio, fingers pulled at the table, head tilted back, mouth open in a soft 'o'. He pushed hard against Arcade, but Arcade kept his hand there, didn't let him get any more unless Arcade was willing to give. 

"You're cruel." Ignacio clawed harder at the table.

"Mm. I am the worst. Boone could confi--" Oh, that was nice. Tight wetness around his cock, sharp warmth at his ear. He leaned into both sensations, much to Ignacio's clenching delight. Arcade angled his head just a bit, turned to look right at Boone. "Couldn't you?"

"Couldn't I what?" Boone's own fingers wasted no time. Bold now, they thumbed along his ass, worked at the material that blocked Boone pushing further.

"Confirm I'm the worst."

"Mm. You look alright from here. The shirt looks better on me though."

That was a tease if he ever heard it, but he just rolled his eyes and focused his full attention on his Ignacio. "Then why don't you take it off of me?"

Perhaps he hadn't considered it at all before the words were out of his mouth, but silly him, he didn't expect Boone to go so slowly. Agonizingly slow. The sort of pace that Ignacio would go when he wanted to drive Arcade absolutely mad.

Rude. It was like the two had discussed this or something-- had they? Had it all been a setup from the start? Half of him was irritated at even the concept of being toyed with and played. No, less than half. Far more than half of him twitched eagerly at the idea they might have worked him over skillfully, brought Boone in based on little more than conjecture that actually turned out to be right.

Arcade thrust faster, angled himself up into his lover's body, felt them as deep as he could.

Ignacio's mouth hung open, he panted out soft words, little nothing phrases that couldn't be described as much more than disjointed syllables.

God, he loved it when he got to hear that. To watch Ignacio lose control.

While he felt Ignacio so warm around him and watched him so unhinged and needy, he also got to feel Boone's strong fingers releasing him from his shirt and stroking at the muscles all the while. He could barely temper his thrusts to keep from going over and spilling into the confines of his condom.

"Maybe he was right. Looks like you might be a quick shot." Then a nip.

Bastard. "I can hold off eas--" Oh dear heavens Boone had his cock out, pressed right against Arcade's ass. He hadn't planned this far, all things considered. Even in his fantasizing thoughts the night before (other nights didn't count, they hadn't included Ignacio as well) he hadn't considered just where Boone might actually go. He'd thought perhaps in Ignacio, but that position was already filled and he all but refused to give it up.

Here, though, it seemed Boone had other ideas. Naughty whispers, low and deep, filled his head.

"Let's get those pants off. I liked what I saw last time. I'd like to see it again."

It wasn't begging, but it made him feel that absolute same thrill. No, this was more akin to a demand, but with such a nice compliment attached.

Arcade reached down briefly and pushed them off his hips, enough Boone could help him get them the rest of the way off. Shortly after, strong arms pressed him on over Ignacio, made him the middle of something so sinfully decadent he'd sincerely never considered it.

Boone wasn't much for banter here either, but he managed all the same to make Arcade needy with just a few words. "You look good."

A simple admission was all it took to make him keen into Ignacio's neck, to make him thrust as deep as he could. To be fair, he was in the middle of being inside his long lost, very much still loved, lover. Everything was a bit high after that. But he couldn't deny enjoying the entire situation just that bit more with Boone pressed up against him, fingers slick with lube, probing him like they'd done it before.

"You're... decent with those fingers." He pushed back against the digits in question, though they retreated immediately, back to only a single knuckle and a single wet finger. With no small degree of irritation etched into his forehead, Arcade became aware of how Ignacio must have felt when Arcade had teased so much. "If you can figure out how to keep them inside."

"Well, I wouldn't want you to finish fast."

Bastard.

Ignacio managed a breathy laugh. "No, we wouldn't want that."

Both of them, awful. They'd be lucky if he spoke to them again.

He believed it too, for a moment, right up until he felt a third finger probe its way in. There came that somewhat unfamiliar fullness, that pleasant stretching. Oh, how long since he'd allowed someone to enter him? It almost didn't bear thinking about. He'd rather not think of lesser lovers, drunken one-night fumbles in the dark, hushed words so no one heard.

Arcade did not keen out. He merely exhaled a bit sharper against Ignacio's throat, and he covered it up expertly with a kiss after. With a nip. With a mark that would last a few days, unless Ignacio did something foolish like cover it up in the heat.

Strong hands pulled out and parted Arcade's cheeks. Two thumbs rubbed up against his entrance, pulled him open.

"You've... definitely done that before."

"Yeah." Nothing defensive in that tone, just a simple statement. As though Arcade hadn't said anything even remotely offensive.

He hadn't, but you never knew with some men. He supposed, very distantly since the pleasant sensations were growing too much, that Boone wasn't the sort to get defensive about that stuff anyway. He'd be more likely to hit you for implying he was a coward, which Arcade had once. Or thrice

Boone wasn't slow to get the condom on. One moment the condom was up, another moment Arcade felt that telltale rubber bunching up against his entrance. Seconds later, Boone was fully in.

Arcade pressed in as far into Ignacio as he could go and simply held on for the ride.

Arcade's fingers dug into his lover's hips, used them as a bit of physical leverage to keep him steady while both men rocked into or against him.

He wanted to say something, make some remark. But even he hit a point where it was too much and his brain didn't work well enough in conjunction with his dry mouth to work. That point happened to be when he was outside of Ignacio and Boone hilted and sent him right back into the other.

That first time was too much, but for it to continue, over, and over, Boone setting a quick, deep pace, was more than he could handle.

Arcade did not whimper but he could forgive either if they thought they heard it. Lots of sounds got made during sex, it was easy to mix up who made what noise.

He especially did not whine when Ignacio pushed up hard against him at just the exact moment Boone slammed into him. No, he did not do that either.

He did pant though, and clutch everywhere he could reach, Boone's thrusting hips, Ignacio's back and shoulders, and anywhere else available. He kissed too, on that soft open mouth turned to the side and ready for him, against that stubbled chin, down along that quick beating pulse point along the neck.

He didn't pay attention to who finished first. At some point, Ignacio went limp and just let out quiet sighs instead of the heavy whines and pants of before. At some point, Arcade did the same. Boone was probably last, but it didn't really matter. He'd been last to join, too.

A bit disoriented, Arcade removed himself from both of them and moved off towards the bathroom. He needed water, in his mouth, on his face, to wipe along his length. What they did, he didn't care, but he couldn't just lie there, spread out over the felt like Ignacio seemed content to do.

A minute later, he returned, fully dressed in his own shirt and another pair of pants. "You two might want to get dressed too. I don't think midnight means midnight to any of our friends."

"They're late to everything else, but they would be early to come back." Boone nodded and tightened his belt a bit. Because of course, he hadn't undressed at all, and he wouldn't have had his dick out the entire time Arcade was gone.

Arcade still rolled his eyes at it. How easy it must be to not even bother undressing. To not even bother to let the other two enjoy the view.

Ignacio eased himself back into his shirt, then stepped into his pants. "That went well."

Boone nodded again, "Better than hunting deathclaws."

"Well, put that on my tombstone, should I get one. 'Better than hunting deathclaws'."

"If we put everything you said on your tombstone, it would be a tower." Ignacio settled down into a chair and pulled on his boots. Quick hands tied the laces tight.

"He said things like that even before?" Boone leaned against the side of the pool table, palms pressed backward down against the raised wood, and his bottom lifted and right on the edge.

"Oh, I'm sure he's said things like that since before I even knew him."

"Well, if you're going to double-team me like that, at least make it the kind I can enjoy." He did cross his arms and he didn't bother to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Exchanged glances only served to irritate him more. He could practically read the morse code of their blinks. Oh, he knew that game.

The elevator dinged. Doors pressed into recessions in the walls and out walked someone with sure steps.

"To whoever sent Lily after me at the Wrangler, I hope you had a good time tonight, because I didn't." He stomped on over towards the kitchen.

"Just as you were about to get lucky with Beatrix too, I'm sure." Arcade advanced towards the kitchen, followed the irritated ghoul. Someone had to get him gone if Boone and Ignacio were to properly double-team him, after all.

"Santiago, actually. Didn't we help him get hired at that place? I must be losing my mind even more than I knew, but I swore boss told them to head on over a few weeks back."

"He did. Turns out, Old Ben was a better fit for the job. Don't tell me you tried your luck with Santiago?" Oh, that was a delight.

"Really? I saw Old Ben, but I hadn't realized there was only room for three prostitutes in that place." Raul returned to the hallway, beer in hand. "Santiago sure chatted me up like he wanted a piece of this. Which piece, I don't know, but if I hadn't implied I had the caps for his time, I might've had a good time."

"I'm sure he would have come around. You're smooth." Boone crossed one leg over the other and leaned back over the pool table a bit more. He grinned.

"Oh, you've got the jokes tonight. And a smile too, if I didn't know better, I'd say Arcade's not the only one who got lucky with the lucky date. And you must be him. I'm Raul." He didn't put a hand out to shake, but he held his beer out and tipped it somewhat politely.

It was hard sometimes to tell where Raul was looking, with eyes like his.

But here, it was clear. He went from looking at Boone, to Ignacio, to the pair of pants Arcade had stripped from earlier and left there in order to get a fresh set of clothes. He went from the pants to the torn striped shirt that casually hung off the side of the table.

He grinned, tipped his beer up into his mouth, and headed back into the hallway. "Lily's downstairs playing some broken slots. If she follows me to the Wrangler again before I get another go at seducing Santiago, I may go back to my vaquero ways."

"I'll go sit with her." Boone didn't seem too concerned. The smile didn't fade. The light didn't go anywhere in those green eyes.

"You're a real friend. Just like the boss, but at least you don't talk my ears off."

Boone nodded to Ignacio, nodded to Arcade, and stepped out into the hall after Raul.

A moment later the elevator doors spread. Raul and Boone entered and the doors shut after them.

Arcade slumped into a chair beside Ignacio.

"Your friends are interesting."

"They're a real fun bunch."

"At the risk of inciting you, I wouldn't mind if Boone were to join us again sometime before I have to go."

He wouldn't mind it either, truth be told. Even for bits of irritation, he couldn't complain. "You're here for two weeks, right?"

"Well, minus travel and the days I've already been here, I only have a week and four days left, but yes."

"I'm just wondering how we could get them out of the suite that long."

"I actually got a room in the nearby Vault."

"How come you didn't say anything?"

"I wanted to see what this place looked like."

"Did it meet your expectations?"

"It's about where I would expect you to live at this point in your life."

Dark, musty, high above everyone else. He wasn't sure if it was an insult or a compliment. More than likely, with that teasing smile, it was a mixture of the two.

Arcade laughed and stood once more. "There should be a bit of time left before anyone else gets back, especially with Boone watching the door."

"A second wind? Good. I'm glad to know you're still able to get up after." Ignacio stood, and pressed himself closer to Arcade. "Perhaps you could show me your bed?"

He could do that. "Right this way." He could also take Ignacio right to the master bedroom, because it wasn't like Gary was there to stop him. He was probably out starting more trouble, like always, and he wouldn't mind if Arcade started trouble of his own.

Arcade had suspected it but it turned out that sex on a king sized bed was every bit as awesome as he imagined it.

Ignacio moved over Arcade, sweaty and disheveled. "When will they be returning?"

"Midnight, probably."

"We have time." He sunk back down, pressed a heavy kiss to Arcade's lips.

A third wind was a rare thing, but statistically speaking, rare things happened every week. Every day even. People just didn't always notice them for what they were.

Arcade could breathe again when Ignacio finally pulled on his clothing with a note of finality.

"I'll see you soon." Ignacio looked over to Arcade. The barest smile pulled at those plumped, heavily kissed, lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Ignacio nodded, then turned and made his way out of the room, across to the elevator.

Arcade half wished the door would get stuck again, but his lover was far too handy for that to happen after he worked on it.

It opened and it shut.

He got out of bed, slowly made it, then moved to his own bed and turned out the lights. Not long after, he snored into his pillow, face mashed up against the soft fabric.

\---~~~---

"Soooo." Veronica leaned over in her chair, pressed herself right up into Arcade's space. "You were in bed when we came home."

"Yes." Arcade smeared what passed for muttfruit jam over his crusty toast, ignored her pleading expression to hear more.

"How was it? Did you have a lot of fun?" Veronica, never one to back down immediately when she could push a little harder, scooted her chair a few inches closer.

Arcade glanced up at Boone, then grinned back down at his toast. "Lots."

"Looks like Lily's gift got used." Cass winked at him and took a long suck of coffee from her mug.

"Gentlemen don't kiss, or other things, and tell." Arcade sipped his own coffee, determined to hide his grin into the mug. It was a long sip before he smoothed the grin into a more calm expression.

Boone just kept right on smirking into his breakfast.

To an outward observer, it might seem as though Boone was just happy for Arcade's success.

To Arcade, he rather wanted to pull Boone into another room and talk to him. Privately.

Boone looked up over his ever-present sunglasses and sipped at his coffee. The mug settled with a heavy thump. "Think there'll be a third date?"

"Tonight, actually. We wouldn't mind a repeat of how things went last night."

"Good." Boone wasn't as dense as he sometimes pretended. He seemed to understand, even as the others around him were still hung on how amusing it was Arcade got laid.

Arcade turned his full attention back to his breakfast, as though nothing much had been said.

Cass and Veronica prattled on about something or another at Gomorrah, some nice dancer, Raul insisted to Lily that he didn't need a nice young lady like her escorting him around in the Wrangler and that he could handle himself, and Boone just sipped his coffee as quietly as he usually did.

When all the dishes were cleared, when Lily washed and hummed at the sink, when Raul and Veronica and Cass walked off to do their assorted business, Boone stepped up beside Arcade. "When you say a repeat of how last night went..."

"He's got a room at the Vault, if you're interested."

A single nod and a single hand at Arcade's shoulder. It rubbed in a slow circle, then pulled back. Boone pivoted and headed out of the dining area. "Good," over his shoulder, then he left.

Good indeed. Arcade felt a flutter and a flip in his stomach and headed over towards Lily, to assist her with drying the dishes, as per usual.

Lily glanced down at him, the only one of the bunch that could, then smiled wide. “Oh, deary. You should really introduce us to this man, if he makes you smile this much. Maybe he could come up and meet us all tomorrow!”

“Maybe. I’ll ask him.” 

She patted him on the back, some clear form of satisfaction at him agreeing, but she overworked it a bit.

Arcade dunked forward into the sink, got his elbows and the sleeves around them all wet.

Lily chuckled and mumbled a low apology, “Sorry, sweetheart. Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.”

Other days, he might get irritated. That day, he just chuckled and rolled up his sleeves a bit. “No worries.”

“I’m so glad.” That hand was more gentle now, heavy and comforting at his back. After a bit, it pulled away and returned to dishes duty.


	3. Vaulted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boone doesn't tell jokes.

Arcade stepped into the Vault turned hotel, and nodded to the front desk attendant.

"Hey, Sarah." Boone kept right on walking and said it as he was halfway to the second doorway.

"Oh, hi there Boone! Here to rent a room, or are you just interested in the grub?"

"Mmm. I'm meeting a friend."

"Oooh, a friend huh? Well, you know I don't like to pry." She said, as she draped herself forward over the counter and eyed Boone down and up with a hungry sort of expression. "Which room?"

"That might be prying," Boone said it so casual and offered her a smile to patch up any disappointment that flashed over her face.

She grinned, "Well, alright. Just be good."

He waved over his shoulder and kept on walking into the Vault's internal chambers.

"She knows you?"

"Yep."

"How well?"

"Well enough she called me Boone."

It was the sort of circular logic he couldn't figure out. Arcade rolled his eyes and followed the corridor towards where Ignacio was staying. "Is she always so nosy?"

"Have you ever been here?"

"No. Followers rarely put the kind of caps together to stay on The Strip, and I certainly wouldn't stay in a cramp--" He rubbed at his side and glared down at the offending elbow, that was now down by Boone's side, as though it were innocent. "What?"

"Don't be rude."

Arcade huffed. His heavy boots matched pace with Boone's and filled the area with clonking steps he was sure Ignacio would be able to hear. They kept on down the hallway until they reached the room in question. Arcade wound back his arm and prepared to rap at the steel door, but Boone was faster.

Three short knocks later, Ignacio answered the door with the same smile he'd left with the night before. "Ah, it's excellent to see you. Both of you."

"More excellent to see me, right?" It was Schrodinger's joke, but he smiled all the same and stepped in, followed by Boone.

"I don't generally rank lovers. That tends to make things go a very different sort of south." Ignacio shut the door behind them and moved to a tray, where a single bottle of wine and three glasses stood out among the otherwise plain Vault room.

"But, if you did..." Arcade didn't have to continue. He could, but he wouldn't. Boone knew.

Boone didn't seem bothered by the verbal pushes. As per usual, he stood soldier straight, as though waiting for permission to do something, anything.

Ignacio noted this before Arcade could mention it, "Please, sit where you like. Make yourselves as comfortable as this Vault allows."

Arcade sat just beside Ignacio on the bed, and leaned in, "Well, maybe we shouldn't make ourselves too comfortable. Your neighbors might complain."

A flush of red tinged at Ignacio's neck and burned its way up to his cheeks but he simply smiled. "I assure you, the walls are soundproof. Vaults have fine engineering when it comes to that."

The bed shifted once more, with Boone's careful weight beside Ignacio on the other side. "Even if they weren't soundproof, they're thicker than Novac's. I thought I'd pull back paint and find cardboard underneath."

Ignacio chuckled, "Our first place was like that, wasn't it?"

Yes. He didn't have to say it first, Ignacio was on his wavelength. "It was. Actually, at one point when our neighbors fought, didn't they break through it? No brick, no wood, just ancient drywall keeping them from us."

"There was definitely support in the walls, only not there. It was weakened, likely from water dam--" Ignacio glanced at the hand along his thigh, blinked once, then looked back to the wine in front of them instead of at Arcade. "Right to the point?"

"Why not?" No small amount of pleasure rose up in his body when he witnessed both of the others shift and adjust their weight and positions on the bed. "Would you rather wait? Are you going to be shy?" He didn't have to be so possessive, he knew that. He'd willingly had Boone come along. He'd chosen this. Still, he wanted to touch Ignacio first.

"No reason not to. Though, I'm surprised you're so openly eager."

He was smart enough to realize when there was a verbal trap just waiting for Arcade to stumble into it. "Why shouldn't I be? You'll only be here so long."

"True. But normally you have me admit what I want first." Those golden flecks of mirth shone in Ignacio's eyes.

Definitely a trap but probably a fun one. He'd accept. "Well, I think I know what you want." He leaned over his lover's lap a bit, pressed their foreheads together, and focused on their face.

"Wine and a conversation? Because that's what I hoped to begin with. Surely foreplay isn't something you've forgotten in the single day removed from me?"

Boone was the one who smirked, though he had the sense to turn his head away for a moment, as though the corner of the Vault were so interesting.

Arcade rolled his shoulders into a great big shrug of nonchalance. He leaned back, placed his upper body weight on backward-facing palms and loosely unfolded arms. "Well, wine and conversation are fine, I suppose. If you want to do what we always do."

Ignacio reached forward and pulled the tray that bore the bottle and beautifully unmarred wine glasses. "Boone, would you like some? There's no pressure, if no." He uncorked the bottle with a pleasantly familiar pop and poured out some into a glass.

"Wine's good."

"Arcade?" He filled the second glass halfway.

This was some sort of mind game, clearly. He kept referring to Boone first, even though it made more sense to say Arcade's name before Boone's. "Wine would be lovely, thank you."

Finished with the third glass, he loosely corked the fragrant, sweet-smelling wine and handed a glass to each of them.

It wasn’t that he was jealous, or insecure. Arcade enjoyed the scent, lightly rolled it around the glass to let it settle in. It was just, agreeing to have a sexual threesome, and doing whatever this was, it felt a bit different. He wasn’t sure.

He hated not being sure of things.

Boone took a sip then seemed to watch them and what they were doing. After a few moments, he sniffed it too, albeit a bit louder than was probably polite, if it were a public place. “I don’t usually drink wine.”

He was tempted, oh was he, to say something to that. But he didn’t. He was being ridiculous, and he knew it. The last thing he wanted was to be sealed out of the room and unable to hear what they talked about inside. “I didn’t always. It's acquired.”

“I only do because Arcade did.”

“What? Hardly. You’re the one who bought me a bottle every time you wanted to make up with me.” Oh, he hadn’t made the connection until the words gushed out. Arcade sipped, though it went past his taste buds and landed straight along the back of his gullet, where it rushed to his liver no doubt.

“Not only then. For nice occasions as well. You’re the one that said how much you enjoyed wine.”

He grasped for the memory where he’d said he enjoyed wine. Probably, they’d been in some convenience store, Jamison’s Grocer’s even, and he’d mentioned a good wine. The more he considered it, the more that potentially planted memory grew vividly in his mind. “I do enjoy wine. But I still think you’re the one who started that. I was more interested in things that got me drunk faster, back then.”

“Just back then?” Boone sipped his now, quieter. Hiding the barest twitch of a smirk behind the shimmery red dazzle of wine.

“You know, I chose to let you come.”

“Is that what you did?” Boone didn’t hide behind wine anymore, though, a bit clung to his top lip and threatened to fall and stain the bottom one as well. The tip of Boone’s tongue peeked out and worked its way from corner to corner, until the drop was no longer present and all that remained was a light sheen.

The innuendo was plain, but he chose not to stoop to saying it. Additionally, his neck was a bit warm and he felt that familiar shifting in his far too tight pants.

Ignacio drank silently, situated between the two of them. Finally, “I’ll admit, I was a bit worried that last time was merely a spur of the moment decision, and perhaps neither of you would be interested in further… decision making.”

Arcade laughed, even though it got him a look that might have frozen him in years prior. “Really? I can barely keep my hands off of you when you’re around. And it’s not like you’ll be around long, right? Why miss opportunities to enjoy one another? Even if normally three’s a crowd.” Or a small army. He didn't mind that idea.

He swirled his glass a bit harder than intended and a few droplets dribbled over the side. He turned the glass at the stem until the offending drops were before his lips and then he rose his hand and took the last bit of his wine.

No, Ignacio was the one who had started out liking wine. He couldn’t remember what made him think it, but he was certain. Perhaps Arcade had given him a bottle, and Ignacio said something about it? Maybe it was a specific brand?

“If it is a crowd, I can go.” The words were not meek, but nor did they hold the same push they could have. Boone set his glass onto the cart, made it shift a bit on the casters and roll away at an angle.

Ignacio put a hand over Boone’s when it returned. “I don’t feel it is.”

Oh, good. It was to him. No eyes were on him, but he could feel them as though they were. Every breath he made they probably focused on, waiting for a reply. He set the glass back on the tray, determined to drink no more. He felt comfortably loose enough to be less… himself. “I might tease, but if you weren’t welcome, I would have told you no. Besides. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do when there’s actually a bed in play.”

“You enjoyed playing pool though.” It was innuendo, laced in good and thick, about like what he would expect from Boone.

Arcade chuckled and began to slide his arms free from his coat. “I didn’t mind when you made that corner shot.”

“I really do have a type, I’m afraid.” Ignacio finished his wine off with a little sigh into the confines of the glass.

“What, men who make excellent jokes?”

“Replace ‘excellent’ with ‘juvenile euphemism’ and yes, that does seem to be what I go for.”

“Oh, how sad. I really feel for you. Just, so, so much.” Literally, he felt up along their back until he saw the switch flip and their eyes get heavy, until he felt them shudder under his touch. Arcade, never one to let an opportunity pass by (ok, he was, but not this kind) pressed a fluttery kiss to Ignacio’s neck. Another, another, another, until he firmly kissed behind his lover’s left ear and whispered, “Would you like to see just how much I feel for you?”

Ignacio’s body was so responsive. Just a few touches here, a kiss there and there and right there, and Ignacio panted lightly enough he could explain it as alcohol effects and flushed bright enough he’d be obviously lying. “That could be… enjoyable.”

And Arcade pulled back. “Well, there’s still a conversation to be had. Wouldn’t want it to be said that I don’t do enough foreplay.” If he had more wine, he’d drink it here, a clever cover up for the teasing smirk that flashed over his lips and crinkled around his eyes.

“Well, while he’s busy with that.” Boone stole Arcade’s opportunity and scooted hip to hip with Ignacio.

Ignacio’s breathy laugh could give Arcade life, even when it wasn’t only for him.

That was alright. Boone could help, this could work out fine. “So, Ignacio, tell me about what you’ve been doing at your job.” He reached for a bit more wine, just filled his glass halfway. Maybe he hadn’t started by enjoying wine, but he did now, and he’d enjoy every drop.

“It’s rather complex, on a daily basis I have to ensure--” Breaths cut through Ignacio’s own words, and he dug his hands hard into the thin mattress. “Ensure that the power levels remain…” He focused ahead, mouth slightly agape as Boone cast somewhat shy kisses to the other side of Ignacio’s throat. “Consistent. Too many spikes one way or another, and it could be disastrous.”

Arcade inhaled the decadent scent of his wine and regarded his lovers through the brilliant jewel-toned fluid. How everything shimmered and blended so nicely like this. “No, it could be very uncomfortable for everyone if things spiked too much, couldn’t it?”

“That euphemistic… turn of phrase doesn’t even work here.” He tilted his head back, gave Boone greater access. Slowly, fingers on his right hand shyly danced up Boone’s back, worked massaging strokes over the NCR man.

“What euphemism? I’m just talking about your job. Or, would you prefer another topic?” There it was again, he came to the conclusion Boone wasn’t the enemy. Sure, a bit of push and shove, verbally or physically, was pleasant enough. But with the way they both teased at Ignacio and made him needy and hard with nothing more than some heavy kisses, fairly innocent strokes, and otherwise mundane words, it was a delight to behold.

Not that Ignacio probably thought it. He seemed fairly distracted, beside himself already. He always was decently easy to work up, if you only knew how to twist him about.

Arcade couldn’t talk though, his own body screamed for him to comply, and toss Ignacio down to ride him until the mattress wore away. But no, he wasn’t going to lower himself to such baser needs. Not until his lovers begged him to.

Maybe not Boone though, the verdict wasn’t in on if that was a thing he’d ever do. It’d be more of a bonus if it did happen, he figured. The guy was stubborn as a cactus flower that refused to bloom.

Ignacio’s first moan of the evening and he tried to bite it back. Silly man, that wouldn’t work.

Arcade met Boone’s uncharacteristically unshielded eyes and they both smiled.

“So,” Arcade began again, as though nothing had happened, “I read a book recently, I think you’d find it enjoyable. It’s a rather lively breakdown of the industrial revolution, with enough citations and references still legible that I’ve managed to actually find some of the sources. It’s certainly not normally my... Are you alright?” Of course he was.

Ignacio glared, though no malice reached those needy dark eyes. “You’re a brute.”

“I’m not doing anything but what you asked. Boone, on the other, well he is being rude. Look at him go.”

Boone popped one more of Ignacio’s buttons, then arched a brow. “How am I being rude?”

“Well, you’re not joining in the conversation like our host, Ignacio, asked. Then again, you are pretty shy.”

“He doesn’t seem shy right now.” The words were ground out, but not from displeasure. In fact, the opposite rang true. Ignacio poured a bit more wine for himself, topped the glass off. “Are you, Boone?”

“Shy? No. I just don’t have much to say.” A tentative hand tapped its way down Ignacio’s shirt, then pulled away and smacked onto Boone's own leg. “I can stop.”

Another sip and it matched pace with his lover’s own drinking. A moment later, they both reached out and put their respective glasses on the tray. Besides Boone’s glass, there was no more wine left. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind. Do you, Ignacio?”

“I don’t. Though, a conversation would be fine. In fact, I know just the topic.”

Oh, well there was a curve.

Ignacio tugged Boone in closer, eased away any of that newly arisen hesitance. “How about, our first year of--”

“Absolutely not. We are absolutely, unquestionably, not talking about that.” Or Arcade's beard attempts. He didn’t mean to sound so ragged, so he switched back as quick as he could to soft and teasing, “How about a discussion on economics? That’s always exciting, isn’t it?”

Ignacio looked at him with no small amount of irritation, before he moved over Boone’s lap. “I prefer something more rigid and testable than economics.”

Boone’s eyes were lidded, heavy with arousal. He carefully reached around Ignacio’s waist, thumbed at ribs and worked fingers in fanning patterns across the back. “You two sure know how to talk.”

“Mm, you act as though this is a bad thing.” Arcade didn’t quite crawl over, but he angled himself a bit more sharply, until he was leaned over Boone’s left shoulder, so close to both of them. “Why don’t you lead the discussion then? We’ll just try to… keep up with you.” He reached a hand out, caught at Ignacio’s thigh, and stroked down it until he reached the point where Ignacio and Boone’s legs met.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Boone glanced over, a brief hint of apprehension clear in those eyes, despite all that lust so plain over his normally stolid features.

He pushed a bit, pressed his hands down at the small of Boone’s back with his right hand and stroked so close to Boone’s rising length with his other. “How come?”

“I don’t know what to say.” Boone had little room for dishonesty in the statement and he nodded after it. “I should just. Do.”

Ignacio wrapped his arms about Boone’s thick corded shoulders. He ground his hips forward until their pelvises worked along one another. “I’m sure you could find something to say.”

“Maybe. Maybe I should drink a bit more wine first.” Another heavy swallow, a bit of that nervousness back.

Ignacio nodded and adjusted himself onto the bed to Boone’s right.

Boone leaned forward and lifted his own wine up. He didn’t put on airs he knew what to do with it, except drink it, so that’s all he did. One moment half was present, the next it was all gone, with nothing but a few rolling red remnants in the bottom.

Interesting. Boone was, dare he think it, sheepish here. A strong contrast to how he’d been when he was… Arcade didn’t have to feel his pulse to know it spiked. Yes, he’d keep that memory tucked away and bring it out often in the future. Still, Boone was nervous when he’d been so sure of himself in the recreation room. Then again, he’d been clearly flustered before that.

Wine would help. It’d be soon enough Boone would get back to how rough and oddly attractive he’d been the other night. Not that somewhat bashful wasn’t oddly endearing, considering who Boone was in public.

Arcade’s turn to tease Boone now and he wasn’t certain when Boone had become the target, but he wasn’t about to complain. “Well, any scintillating conversation starters for us? Perhaps about something you’ve read recently? Or, oooh, perhaps you might speak a bit of Latin for us, since you’re learning?”

The red of Boone’s cheeks were a comparable shade, though far less intense, compared to the beret above it. “Well, I’m glad there’s soundproofed walls here, and it’s just us. I’m glad we’re in this Vault-cum-hotel right now.”

He didn’t mean to laugh. Really, he didn’t. And a quick look at Ignacio said he didn’t mean to laugh either. It was an accident and who could possibly blame them for it.

Boone stood with a muttered something. He clenched the stem like it was a thick branch, all thick fingers and thumb curled tight around the wine glass.

Oh no. No no. He stood as quick as Ignacio did. Their respective coats swirled a bit as they stepped into Boone’s space.

“Boone, please, sit down.” And if it was a bit ingratiating in tone, he wouldn’t pull back on that. You didn’t just insult someone's likely first Latin attempts, even if they were bungled in a remarkably humorous way.

Boone gave a characteristic grunt but did so.

So quick, Arcade and Ignacio both went back to work moving against him, seemingly one in their attempt at pacification.

It seemed to work, if only on a physical level. Boone was still fully hard, straining at his front despite the roominess of the thick cotton cargo pants. He huffed out a few unsteady breaths, “I should get up and...”

He kissed Boone’s throat, right where the jugular worked to pump all that blood down where it would be most useful at the moment. “I’m so very sorry.”

“As am I.” Ignacio caught on, bending his own words to match Arcade’s. “I’m just filled with contrition.”

Boone visibly squirmed, and cast suspicious glances at the both of them. “Really?”

Arcade pressed his cheek against Boone’s chest, turned it up and looked right into those sharp green eyes. “Let us show you.”

For a moment, Arcade couldn’t read what Boone’s face meant, and then he nodded, relaxed, and put his hands on the both of them. “Go on. Show me.”

He wasn’t sure who dropped down first and worked at the belt, much like he couldn’t trace the origin on who got the other started drinking wine. Regardless, there they were, pulling the wide belt free from thick pant loops.

While Ignacio tossed the belt aside in a wicked snap, Arcade worked the top button, a real heavy duty steel one, then tugged down the rugged teeth of the zipper until he could see Boone.

Naughty man, he’d gone commando. Arcade didn’t keep the giggle in; it bubbled up in a far softer manner than his previous laughter though. He still leaned in and pressed a kiss to that weeping tip, a silent apology for even potentially making it-- making Boone, rather-- feel bad.

Fingers wrapped around his curls, dug in tight at his scalp. He relished the feeling and took it as a sign to go further, to fully lick the length before him. Ignacio seemed to feel the same way about Boone’s hand in his hair.

Their tongues met halfway, both dragged those thick little muscles up to the tip, then swirled them on down as far as the pants would allow.

“How sorry are you?” Boone asked it, his voice lower by enough it got Arcade slick against his briefs.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Let me show you.” Arcade’s hand reached up to stroke Boone’s cock, to pull those hefty balls out and give them some attention too. Shock shot through him when Boone stopped his hand and pushed it down to his side.

“Tell me. How sorry are you both?”

A quick check down and he confirmed that Ignacio enjoyed the vaguely rough treatment, coupled with what verged on dirty talk. It wasn’t quite there yet but with a bit of coaxing Arcade could see how it would be.

Arcade cast his eyes down, and pressed his cheek up against Boone’s length, felt the heavy thickness of it against his skin. “I’m so sorry, I’d do just about anything,” A kiss to the tip, then he draped and pulled his tongue down along the thick length until he was at the base again, “to make it up to you.”

Ignacio nodded, “Yes, I absolutely agree. It was so very wrong, what we did. Far be it from me to continue being a poor host. Please accept my most humble apologies.” He followed through with a kiss to the head, like Arcade’s, before he opened his mouth and sucked along the first few inches.

Boone let out a guttural moan and used his hand to urge Ignacio further. “How sorry are you?” A direct look to Arcade.

Pink and panting, Arcade adjusted himself to be a bit closer and draped himself over one of Boone’s legs, like in a Classic painting from before even the Great War. He gazed up at Boone with fluttering eyelashes. Fingers stroked Boone’s calf, enjoyed the way they tensed and relaxed beneath his touches. “I’d let you toss me on that bed and do whatever you like to me, to show how very sorry I am.”

Ignacio choked a bit, which in turn made Boone curl over them both a bit more. His focus seemed to drift between Arcade and Ignacio. “Good. Stand up and strip.”

Ignacio shifted to pull back but Boone stroked along his shoulders.

“You’re fine. Stay.” The words didn’t come out with quite the bite they had a moment back.

Ignacio returned to moving with slick sucks down Boone’s shaft.

“Oh, only me then?”

“You’re the one who did it first.”

Another time, he’d argue that point. He was almost positive he and Ignacio had chuckled at the same time and nothing Boone said could prove otherwise. Here though, he sensed an opening and he took it. Gracefully as his lanky legs could manage, he ascended until he was at his full height. Fingers ran along his navel and up to his pectoral muscles, where he stroked for a beat, then he moved them in and worked the top button of his shirt. “I’m so sorry, I certainly wouldn’t complain,” much, “if you were to decide we both needed punishment. We were just awful to you.”

Ignacio sucked right up to the tip, then opened his mouth and kissed at Boone’s clothed thigh. “Absolutely. We should be disciplined.”

Arcade could see Boone’s proud cock fully from his position. The word discipline made it jump and slap against Boone’s stomach. Oh. Oh yes, they could all have a very good night. In fact, if anything, he learned to absolutely tease Boone’s fumbling Latin pronunciations, especially if they led to this ‘consequence’.

Boone’s cleared throat brought Arcade’s attention back to the task at hand. He worked another few buttons loose and tugged his shirt free from his waistband. Then he pushed it aside to meet with his jacket. In a single step forward, he shrugged out of his shirt and jacket and let them slump together in a pile on the ground. “As you can see, I’m sorrier than Ignacio.” He cupped just over his own needy bulge.

“Unlikely.” Ignacio probably rolled his eyes to go with his tone, though Arcade couldn’t see it.

Boone spread his legs, gave Ignacio more room to work along his cock, kissing and sucking and running that smooth hand along it. “You’re not stripped yet. Get to it.”

He almost countered with a sarcastic ‘yessir’ but he held his tongue and pulled his belt buckle loose before he finally tugged the leather free of the loops. He pressed toes of one boot against heel of the other and pulled himself free. “What then?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re naked. Hurry up.”

He wouldn’t jump when Boone said to, usually. Here though, there was the thrill. Normally he kept his clothes on for as long as he was able, but this wasn’t his normal Friday night, was it? Thumb worked at his top button, tugged it from the opposite loop, and worked on the zipper beneath it all within the span of a few moments. He didn’t quicken his pace, so much as he no longer dallied with words. No, he actually took his sweet time, even turned around as though he felt bashful when it came time to push down his pants over his slender hips and get them all down his legs to step out.

Nothing but thin material shielded him from Boone’s gaze and he looked over his shoulder with a smirk. He liked how hungry that expression was.

Thumb and finger hitched against the waistband of his green shorts and he lowered them along his ass in an agonizingly slow manner. “Is this what you want?”

“Yeah. And you laying on the bed. Is he always this slow?” Boone glanced down to Ignacio, who seemed quite caught up in working at Boone, but managed a nod. Boone stroked through the hair and looked back up at Arcade.

Oh, so they were still playing? That hadn’t just been fun foreplay? Well, fine, if Boone wanted to play hard. He let the shorts fall, and stepped forward out of them, then pivoted and turned to full face Boone.

Boone’s pupils were dilated, unmistakably so against those green irises. “Good. Now, lay back.”

He did as bidden; he didn’t even complain. No ‘or else what?’ no ‘oh, is this really what you want?’ nothing but compliance. He made sure to go around behind them both and stretch out, fully spread over the bedding.

Boone stroked through that thick black hair and slowly helped Ignacio rise up. “So, you want discipline?”

Cruel bastard. Arcade had gone and said he would allow it, certainly. He hadn’t been the only one to admit that, Ignacio had eagerly said as much as well. But to make them ask for their own ‘discipline’? That was a sort of naughty genius Arcade could approve of, were it not being used against him.

Ignacio positioned himself beside Arcade, though he had to force some of Arcade’s limbs in a bit to make them both fit. Something he seemed to take pleasure in doing, with the way those hands lingered.

Arcade glanced at his lover, waited for them to say something first. No such luck. After that initial stage of dirty talk, imploring Boone to not be angry at their teasing, to not run off and leave them alone, he wasn’t quite sure how to bring that tone back. How to tell Boone he wanted it.

He definitely wanted it.

Ignacio sighed, spread himself out a bit and looked up to Boone with sultry dark eyes. “We certainly deserve it.”

It. Discipline. To be tossed down and ravished. To be held hard and shoved into. To be talked to like naughty ones who deserved what they got.

Yes, they certainly deserved it.

Boone nodded then moved in.

Ignacio got the better part of the deal, it seemed. He’d gotten to fully suck at Boone, he’d gotten those hands in his hair longer, he’d even gotten to keep his clothes on for the time being. Never one to ignore an unfair situation, he rolled over and pressed his own insistent length in the barest gap between Boone's hips. “I didn’t realize making out was disciplining.”

Boone arched a brow over the words but broke the kiss with Ignacio all the same. “It’s not. I’m taking my time.”

“But you know, if you wait too long after, the punishment doesn’t even connect to the crime anymore.”

Boone let out a gravelly chuckle. “Yeah, for dogs. Should I stick your nose in it again?”

Well. Arcade pulled back and flipped onto his back, arms crossed behind his neck. “No, don’t mind me then. I’ll just be here, naked, waiting my turn.”

“It’s fairly rude to interrupt, Arcade.” Ignacio panted once, twice, then seemed to steady himself. Arms unwrapped from about Boone’s back and moved to his own sides. “It’s up to you what you do, of course, but I certainly wouldn’t tolerate such behavior if it were me.”

They conspired against him. With only a few sentences from his long-time lover and a single drawn-out dark smile from Boone, he knew his turn had come.

Well, that was just fine then. And it was still fine when Ignacio helped Boone to overpower Arcade.

It was all fine, and infuriating, and more arousing than he could handle when his cock pressed up against the thick cotton of Boone’s pants. At least he finally got some friction though, awkward as it was.

Boone’s hand teased along the curve of his ass, tested it out with a firm pressure. A moment later, it lifted.

He’d asked for it, if not explicitly by name. He wanted it, even if he refused to beg.

The moment of impact, he ground hard against Boone’s thighs and squirmed his side up against Boone’s own cock.

Ignacio petted through his hair. “You enjoy this.”

It was a fact, but they didn’t have to be so smug about it. Arcade huffed, and buried himself in Ignacio’s lap, while his pelvis situated over Boone’s lap. There was something more intoxicating than the wine, in being the central part in everything right then.

“I bet you don’t do what you did again.” Boone’s words began uncertainly, but caught up and turned into rough dirty talk, right before he smacked Arcade again.

“I don’t know, rarely do I hold to long-term commitments of keeping my mouth shut when I should.”

Boone spanked him again, again, until Arcade was certain he was equally pink-turned-red on both sets of cheeks.

He’d deny being a masochist, really. Sure, jokingly, he’d say he must be, to keep working with the Followers when the benefits were low and it was so boring sorrier to research duty, but he’d deny it in most sexual situations.

Arcade wouldn’t deny he liked this though. He wouldn’t admit it, but he wasn’t about to say he disliked it. A strong NCR man holding him down with enough pressure to remind Arcade of where he was, with a sensual but firm lover in front of him, teasing with little smiles and a thick covered cock.

There was nothing he could do. A minute into the onslaught, he moaned. “You call that discipline? I can barely… f-feel it.”

Boone didn’t increase his force, but he sped up a bit and delivered his smacks in the same even but semi-random manner. “You talk a lot. I think that mouth should be used somewhere else.” The hand that had spanked moved up and caught Arcade by the nape then positioned his head just a bit more obviously over Ignacio’s bulge.

Arcade scoffed, even as he wanted to hurry up and get that cock out so he could taste it again. “Am I the only one being disciplined here?”

There they were, twitches so clear in front of him and against his hip.

“I thought you were willing to be punished as well?” Arcade tilted his head back, even with Boone’s hand right at the base of his skull.

Ignacio’s rich dark irises blended wholly with the pupils, so large in the lighting and with all the unfiltered lust circulating between the three of them. “I suppose that’s true. But Boone’s the one in charge of that. Boone, what would you like me to do?”

“Take it out and shut him up. He’s mouthy.”

Mouthy. Of all the nerve. Arcade did open his mouth though, a silent protest against such an accusation, even as he acquiesced. As soon as the tip reached his lips, he moved as far along Ignacio’s length as he could when there were still pants that hid just enough.

Boone’s hand slid down his damp back.

Arcade half expected another slew of smacks, punishing delightful hits that got him grinding and moaning despite himself. Instead, he got a finger right along his entrance, not breaching it, but dancing about it as though it considered it. He relaxed, shoulders lowered, lips more naturally taut over his teeth as he sucked.

Ignacio said something first, before Arcade could pop up with a suggestion. “I have lubricant under the pillow.”

Boone gave a quiet chuckle and a moment later moved the hand under the pillow, reached for where the bottle might be.

Arcade couldn’t see it, focused on the cock in his mouth as he was, but he heard the cap snap open. He could even hear something wet, before the cap clicked and something fell onto the bed beside them. It didn’t take someone like Arcade to figure it out, and he relaxed further. Good. He’d hate to have to actually complain because Boone deemed going in without necessary precautions. Not that he’d been worried, but it wouldn’t have been the first time someone had tried something as foolhardy.

The finger pressed, but not enough to go in. A dollop of the slick wetness remained, and the finger went about its business, sweeping little tender circles around the sensitive skin. “You want me inside of you.”

Statements like that might get scathing remarks.

Arcade nodded at the top of a bob, pulled off, and cast a seductive look in Boone’s direction. “That’s why we’re all here. It certainly wasn’t just for conversation, even if someone insisted.” He ducked down and took as much of his lover into his mouth as he could manage before Ignacio could say too much about where his mouth was and what it should be doing instead.

For all that Ignacio was impatient when he was for all intents and purposes the ‘bottom’, he was decidedly as impatient as the ‘top’ too. He could hold out for several minutes, before he would demand that things go faster.

Arcade didn’t mind that. It meant he didn’t have to crunch and contort himself into all sorts of positions for long, like he could with near ease when he was younger.

That same finger swerved up and pressed the pad against Arcade’s entrance. For a moment, it held there, before Arcade relaxed enough to let it slide right in.

Ignacio worked his hands through Arcade’s wavy blond hair. “You’re so needy.”

“Look how he moves.” Boone pressed a second finger around, and then in. “I think you want us both. Don’t you?”

Both. Well, he already had Arcade nice and deep in his throat, so that was one he had. Boone seemed closer to getting inside him as well, so that would be both of them. But that’s not the images his mind first flashed, overlays of glorious sexual gratification and debasement -- even compared to having one of them in each entrance. He moaned low and dipped his head even further along Ignacio’s length. One hand gripped the shaft, while the other gave Arcade some stability against the firm mattress.

“Oh god, he really liked that idea.” Ignacio’s breath came out in a puff after and he leaned back onto one palm while the other continued to soothingly work through Arcade’s hair.

“I felt that. It looks like someone can’t get enough attention. What a surprise.”

Rudeness wasn’t required. Arcade shifted his hips though, worked his ass back against Boone’s exploring fingers, before he thrust himself forward against those nice thighs, and moved his lips deeper over Ignacio’s cock.

“He really wants more, you can tell. His… his mouth is so…” Ignacio valiantly tried to talk about Arcade, but with each insistent roll of Arcade's tongue, Ignacio struggled more with his words.

Good. He couldn’t exactly smirk, but he felt one in spirit and that was enough. They knew. They both knew. He’d -- oh.

Three fingers and Boone didn’t seem to be slowing down. Like with the spanks, he’d started simply, as though testing how things could go, but soon enough he moved with confidence and speed.

Those three fingers speared Arcade, who panted through flared nostrils and struggled to hold himself together. How wicked. The pinky and thumb massaged at him, but didn’t seem to want to join the other more regular fingers. That was just as well, he couldn’t handle them anyway, could he?

An afterimage to something that hadn’t even occurred filled his thoughts. Boone and Ignacio; Boone beneath, Ignacio on top, and both of them pushing and pushing until Arcade felt like he might burst.

“Relax for me.” Boone’s words rolled out gentle, insistent but not demanding. Those fingers stilled.

Relax? He could do that, especially with the shock of utter filth that clouded his mind and said, this too could be yours. Just relax and let him stretch you properly and then you just have to ask.

There was the real question. Could he ask?

Not with Ignacio inside him, certainly. Arcade pulled off for a moment, looked up at them ahead, then back at Boone behind. His mouth hung open, wet and ready to do something. He wasn’t sure if now was the right time though. Probably no time was the right time. Probably, he wouldn’t even be able to do what his brain hinted at. He wasn’t exactly a young man anymore, even if he didn’t quite toe the line of middle-aged. Not by Old World standards in the books, at any rate...

“Do you want more?”

What a blessed man Boone was, asking him instead of making Arcade be the one to do it. He nodded. “If you’ve got it in you.”

A single arched brow, followed by one hand lifting up the lubricant. Boone poured more out onto the back of the busiest hand, flipped the cap back down, then set it aside. He used both hands to push the lube around and fully get Arcade slick and ready.

How much more though? Did Boone have some inkling to what he’d imagined? Had Ignacio figured it out? Would he need to actually say… something. God. Arcade tensed for a moment, before he did his damnedest to relax and simply get back to work on Ignacio.

That was neither easy to think, thanks to the constant stimulation, nor easy to do, for the same reason. But he managed to clear his mind as much as he could. His tongue roamed along his lover’s cock, all while he did his best to stroke along what he couldn’t easily reach with his lips in that position.

Though Boone paused when he’d tensed, a moment later fingers continued to shift and curl so pleasantly. “Do you want me now?”

There was a difference between ‘it’ and ‘me’ in that sentence, shimmering and small though the difference was. Arcade wanted both though. He nodded at the tip of the cock, even swirled his tongue around the tip to get that extra low moan from one of his lovers.

“Say it.”

This was a demand and Arcade was more than alright with that. Hand up him, filling him until he could barely stand it, and cock in him, making everything smell of that sensual musk he enjoyed when he could, Arcade could say it. He pulled off and offered a final languid lick up his lover’s cock. “I want you inside me.” He cast an over-the-shoulder glance and was rewarded with a smile. Not a smirk, but a smile.

Boone nodded. “We should probably move.”

All that confidence, and it turned to wishy-washy statements, said to the room more than to them. Arcade sighed and propped his chin up on both palms, elbows against the mattress. “Well, Ignacio. You heard the man.”

“Yes, I heard him.” Ignacio’s back cracked audibly and he stilled for a moment before he sighed and pushed himself off of the bed. “These Vault beds are too low.”

He didn’t say that Ignacio was too old, but only because Boone pulled the majority of his hand free in a long slide and gently laid it over Arcade’s back in soothing strokes. “Do you want it still?”

As much as he appreciated that gentlemanly question, if Boone didn’t hurry and fill him, he was going to have some very severe words.

Ignacio chuckled. “How does it feel to be on the receiving end of those who go slowly? Who stretch and prepare you agonizingly?”

“And I thought I was all rush and no foreplay.” He readjusted himself on the bed so he was on his back with Boone over him.

“Right up until I want you in me and then what? You have to ‘take your time’. You can’t ‘rush things’. ‘This is the foreplay you wanted, right, Ignacio?’”

Those were direct quotes he remembered years later, even amidst all the heated sexual tension in the room that made thoughts beyond ‘yes god yes’ a bit difficult. Well, damn. Arcade laughed, despite how Boone’s cock rubbed insistently against his belly, worked along Arcade’s own needy length.

Boone kissed him and the laughter died down and slithered into a moan.

Rough hands grabbed at Arcade’s knees, lifted them up, spread them wider so Boone could tease at the entrance. He released them, then reached into his front pants pocket and tugged out a few of the RobCo brand rubbers.

Arcade, health conscious man that he was, had almost forgotten. Apparently Boone was on top of things in more ways than one, and he appreciated that intensely.

Thankfully, Boone seemed skilled enough in using these that it was only a momentary blip between not being inside of Arcade and being filled.

He only had the breath to inhale deep and breathe hot against Boone’s dipped neck. Hands limply reached out, to find some sort of purchase over Boone’s shoulders.

Boone caught them at the wrists and pushed them onto the pillow above. “Those can’t move.” Then he released Arcade and placed his own hands along Arcade’s chest, thumbed at nipples and stroked gentle patterns along the torso.

Being bound by nothing more than a brief command was absurd but Arcade accepted it with the same aplomb he had the majority of things since the whole encounter had begun. This was easier to do once Boone continued to slide forward with strong hips.

Ignacio made the bed shift. He crawled forward on his knees, and wrapped one hand around his cock, to keep it up fully. “He likes to put his legs on shoulders.”

Why did his lovers continue to conspire against him? He couldn’t even complain because it was patently true, and that was maddening.

“Would you like that? Do you want me to fold you up and take you?” Only the words gave away how filthy what Boone asked was, because his tone seemed casual.

Arcade couldn’t complain, but he could glare. At Boone, at Ignacio, at the situation.

Ignacio curled up beside Arcade, leaned in ever so smoothly. “Is that what you want, Arcade? Would you like to feel him so deep inside of you that you can hardly stand it?”

Monster. God, he couldn’t recall a time he was more-- well, actually, the night before was a strong contender.

“You won’t be able to stand very tall tomorrow.” Boone pulled out at an agonizingly slow pace. He maintained eye contact.

Monsters, plural, and he would be sure to let them both know about it. They’d be hearing about this for as long as it stayed a bedtime memory to drift to sleep with. “Well, I’m told my posture makes me seem smaller than I am anyway, so no real change.” He kept his breathing even, he made sure the words came out unhurried, unbothered. This was a lie of course, but he was willing to do that to send a message.

Ignacio laughed, breathy and warm at the side of Arcade’s neck. “You really are verbose.”

Boone pushed in, deep, just as Arcade prepared a scathing statement.

All the words deflated and Arcade nearly moved his hands to clutch at Boone, or Ignacio, or anything. A simple look told him no and he didn’t move them. Part of him wanted to further but the other much larger part of him delighted too much in that pleased look Boone granted him.

Fine, he’d concede to keeping his hands still and ‘bound’, but only if his legs were allowed on the shoulders. “You could lift my legs up. I’m rather flexible.”

“I could.”

He was not going to beg.

“Do you want me to?” Boone-- treacherous man-- stilled his thrusts once more and eyed Arcade with an almost nonchalance, as though the sweat on Boone’s brow and vibrantly pink sexual flush didn’t give away how much Boone wanted to.

Further concessions were necessary, if he wished to get what he wanted. He shrugged his shoulders in an awkward roll against the mattress, though his hands remained where they were. “That could be enjoyable.”

A brow arched, a clear indication Boone was going to be rotten. “It could be.”

He was tempted to see if he could outmaneuver Boone and force those legs up. Certainly it wouldn’t last long, though maybe Boone would enjoy a bit of power play and he’d allow it. Even still, Boone might hold him down then, face first into the bed, pumping into him without mercy, while Ignacio watched and commented with that same mostly dry wit he loved about Ignacio.

Right. A statement to reply to as though they were simply discussing the weather, until Boone finally, inevitably, acquiesced and put Arcade’s legs up where Arcade needed them. “You should do that.”

“Probably I should.”

He wasn’t one to swear, aloud, in English, often. He nearly did.

Ignacio’s laugh, so sweet to hear at times, scratched in the most irritating way.

Arcade glared over at his latest target. “Is there something amusing in all of this?”

“You’re so charming in your obstinacy. Just ask him. I’m sure he’d oblige.”

Boone and Ignacio’s expressions matched.

All of them, terrible. Wretched. “I want my legs on your shoulders, please. Now.”

Boone lay over Arcade, pressed their foreheads together. ”Is that what you want?”

“Ignacio, he’s being unreasonable! I asked very clear--”

In an instance, Boone maneuvered him so long legs wrapped down each shoulder and Boone kept their chests together. “Is this what you wanted?”

Mother-- “Yes, yes!” --of all that is holy, how did he get stuck with two wonderfully wicked teases? Ignacio played it like he was the victim in past encounters, but Arcade had a new story to remind them both of for when they would complain about what a tease he could be, oh yes he did.

Motions in the periphery said Ignacio wasn’t quite content to just watch, even if he wasn’t imposing himself into the situation.

“You want to join us, don’t you?” He could barely get the words out wholly, but he managed.

“I’d love to fill your mouth, certainly. Though, you seem content to… talk.” Ignacio stilled his hand and eyed Arcade with need.

If he were a fool who didn’t know that timing was everything, he’d torment Ignacio as they both had him. “I certainly am. I’m someone who keeps their… faculties enough to talk.” Though, he couldn’t quite maintain a steady breathing pattern. “Still, there are other… places you could fit. If you were careful.”

He caught their facial exchange. Between the two of them, it took only a few seconds for that to process.

Boone slowed his movements, gave everyone a bit of a breather.

They were going to make him explain it, weren’t they?

“How would that work?” All teasing evaporated. Boone seemed curious, his brows rose just a touch, and he glanced between the three of them.

What did he look like, an engineer? He didn’t know the logistics of it, or if it would work. All he knew was the idea made him feel full, even thinking about it.

“I could certainly lie beneath you. It wouldn’t be easy, but I could. If you liked.” Ignacio's words started slow but were to a normal speed by the end.

And like a switch, they both almost seemed bashful. Though it wouldn’t last, it served him well enough and let him take charge. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Ignacio wasn’t quite as quick as Boone but his fingers didn’t hesitate to place the condom. Rubber on, he and Boone worked together to lift Arcade right up, so Ignacio could slide under his body.

A few fumbling movements, some unpleasant stretching, and several sharp inhales. No, maybe this couldn’t work.

Boone reached for the lube and in doing so pressed right up against that sweet spot.

Arcade moaned and let his eyes flutter shut. “Right there.”

He didn’t worry too much for several moments, he just enjoyed that deep pressure of Boone buried inside. Even if Ignacio couldn’t quite fit, it was nice to feel him there, panting, whispering Latin nothings into Arcade’s ear.

Another attempt and he did his best to let all the tension roll away with the more pleasant stretching. It worked, at least enough he could breathe. Enough he wasn’t quite worried about tears. Inch by inch, Ignacio filled him.

Something somewhat unintelligible came out of his throat. He didn’t care. His hands moved and clutched down to Ignacio’s sides, unheeding of the prior command. He didn’t care.

Boone pushed deep, met Ignacio’s own head.

“You feel great.” Boone lowered to a kiss, right at the left jugular.

Arcade's heart beat in a mad rush to get everything circulated properly, even though his erection begged for far more blood than it could even handle.

He shut his eyes and felt Ignacio press a kiss to the other side of his neck, right where all the dirty whispers had gone. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”

A filthy confession, but he could forgive it, especially since he’d been the one who had all but demanded it. He’d still remind Ignacio of it later. Many times. Over, and over, perhaps even offering to do this with Ignacio and Boone again. Perhaps? Definitely.

“Your skin’s… so hot.” Boone’s tone was almost plaintive, though his face scrunched in ecstasy. “So…”

Another Arcade might tease that Boone was clearly feeling particularly wordy. This Arcade was filled with two very nice dicks, and had no such compulsions. Later perhaps. He’d certainly table that thought.

“How do you feel?” Ignacio’s words coiled into his ear, worked their way through the intensity until he figured out what they meant.

Fantastic. Magnificent. Fuller than he’d ever been in his life, than he’d ever thought he might even want to be. He was fucking awesome. Instead, he moaned, and carefully lowered his legs from Boone’s shoulders. That was too intense, perhaps, but still very nice.

“What’s that? Did you have something to say?” A teasing nip, right at the lower lobe, like Arcade loved.

His own tactics, skillfully employed against him. He had no choice but to bear it, surrounded as he was. Arcade lifted his arms up, wrapped them about those sweaty shoulders over him. Contact, contact, all over, and he still couldn’t get enough. “Both of you, shut up and fuck me.”

Boone smirked. “Can do.”

No more talking and he never thought that would be a blessing. Sounds of slippery flesh slapping against slippery flesh, punctuated by a series of moans and other loud low noises, joined by heavy pants from all around. Arcade was beyond grateful for the soundproofing some engineers and architects hundreds of years prior had the forethought to put in.

A sweaty tang reached his mouth, but he didn’t mind. Everything was coated in it and at this point, it meant less unpleasant friction of their bodies all piled up and more delicious sensations of skin against skin.

Boone kissed him, fully. He didn’t mind that either, though that was an understatement. He enjoyed it, that was closer to the truth. He absolutely fucking loved the way that mouth probed and pushed and demanded, yet heeded every unspoken request Arcade’s own mouth made, and that was not hyperbole, even if it toed at the line a bit.

Ignacio pressed a heavy series of kisses along his throat and murmured soft words in a language Arcade had heard but never fully understood. They sounded sweet and it just layered on the intensity.

Eyes shut, he just focused on the sensations that surrounded him. He felt someone still, but by then he’d lost all sense of whose limbs were whose and where anything really was. Another began to more rapidly thrust and he dimly was aware it was Boone above.

That made sense.

God. God. He had to have done something decent, to have earned something this nice.

It was over and with little more than a pant and a tug of the rubber, Boone was out and he tossed his condom away into the nearby metal wastebasket, where it landed with a little squishy plunk. A moment later, Boone rolled over.

Ignacio made that movement with his hands, the little thumbing of Arcade’s ribs. He was through too, so that stillness had meant exactly what Arcade thought.

With slow, easy motions, he rolled off Ignacio enough to allow them up and to take care of their own body.

Somewhere in there, he’d lost full hardness, but he hardly minded. With all the motion, all the attention, all the everything he could have asked for, something as unimportant as a slightly deflated cock hardly bothered him. With a casual flicking motion, he began to work at his own finish.

“Need help?” Boone rolled onto his side, still flushed and clearly exhausted, but seemingly sincere.

“After that great ‘punishment’? No, I’ve got this. But, thank you for the offer. It’s good to know you’re willing to lend a hand.”

Boone rolled back and laced his fingers behind his neck.

Arcade didn’t rush, but it hardly took long. By the time Ignacio had washed up a bit, he was already through, with a sticky belly, but otherwise no problems in the world.

“Something wrong, Boone?”

That question tore Arcade from contentment and he turned to watch the man in question.

Boone turned his brows inward, near enough they almost touched. Lines creased the younger man’s forehead and those thin lips tilted downward. Boone squinted and looked over, not at Arcade, but at the wine tray past him. “Why was I supposed to punish you two?”

Ignacio settled onto the bed beside them, a moderate weight that shifted the entire mattress. “What do you mean?”

“I said something. And then you were both on your knees. Apologizing.” He spoke slowly, as though to make sure he explained himself clearly.

A quick glance to Ignacio made Arcade sit upright and cast his glance down at Boone. “Do you remember what you said?”

“Something I read. You asked for Latin. Did it not make sense?”

“No, it did.” Ignacio matched Arcade’s posture; knees bent to the side, draping himself over the bed to look at Boone.

“Absolutely.” He leaned in, watched that expression for any changes.

“Oh. Did you two plan that then? The, everything else.”

Planned? And here, he’d wondered that maybe Ignacio and Boone truly had conspired to tease him like they had, in advance even. It seemed that wasn’t true on all accounts if Boone questioned it here.

“No, we didn’t. I simply followed Arcade’s lead.”

“My lead?” He wanted to argue it but that seemed accurate. He nodded.

“You two have a punishment thing then?”

“Like you don’t.” He didn’t mean to deflect, well, yes he did. But Boone absolutely had one as well. 'Us three' didn’t have quite the same fluidity as 'you two' though, so he could forgive Boone it.

“I didn’t say I don’t. I just. I made a little joke and then went to get some water and you two were… I didn’t expect it. I like a bit of warning, or I don’t know what to do at first.” He nodded and seemed to have worked through whatever internal issue he was struggling with.

A joke.

Ignacio held a similar look of embarrassed shock that Arcade felt.

 _A joke._ Boone wanted to fetch water, not flee from embarrassment. This was news.

Arcade nodded, “Next time we’ll be sure to warn you beforehand, won’t we?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good.” Boone sat up and moved over Arcade, to grab his wine glass once more. “I’m still thirsty. Can I get you two some?”

Arcade flopped back. “Yeah, I’d like some water.”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

Boone returned with their water and the three of them quietly sipped, with Arcade right there in the middle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boone definitely told a joke. Those fools.
> 
> He certainly didn't mind.


	4. Teased

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arcade gets a bit more than he deserves and he is absolutely fucking delighted.

The door opened. 

Arcade pulled off Ignacio’s cock, peered behind him to view who it was, but found a very insistent, demanding, hand forced him back against the length.

“Did I tell you to stop?”

No. No, he hadn’t. The thrill of that tone sent a shake down his spine, and he pushed forward and took as much of his lover’s cock in as he could manage. 

“Good boy.” Fingers that had clenched, relaxed. The hand above worked along the waves of Arcade’s hair, caressed it. “Boone. Come in. Shut the door.”

The door shut. Heavy boots clapped against the concrete floor. 

There Boone stood, eyes focused on Arcade, then up at Ignacio. He swallowed. Arms extended and lay flat at Boone’s side, fingers curled tight, then stretched long. He swallowed again. “So.” Normally, if Boone said anything, he finished it. Here, it wasn’t a question, but it certainly wasn’t a statement. The word hung there, waiting for something.

Ignacio glanced over, his expression tight as it had been for the last few hours. “Arcade’s been unbearable.”

Boone nodded and a ghost of a smile flickered before it faded into his otherwise impassive expression.

Ignacio put both hands on Arcade’s scalp, controlled how fast it went, how far it could go. “I’m not patient tonight. I’ve been far too patient all day.” Ignacio forced his mouth right to the base until Arcade’s lips pressed against Ignacio’s pubic mound. 

He’d forgotten how Ignacio could get, until the night before. Here, on his knees, ‘helpless’ and watched by both lovers, he could hardly keep from releasing right there onto the cement. Any touch, any pressure there, and he was certain he’d go.

Ignacio released his grip, let Arcade pull back in time to gasp in another breath.

Boone’s breaths quickened. Those fingers pressed hard against Boone’s hips and he stood tall, even for a soldier boy. 

Ignacio didn’t even look at Boone, but he smirked. “Would you like to join him?”

Arcade whimpered and moved where Ignacio made him, off the cock and down there licking along the base. Those nails dug in, scraped and scratched at his scalp and nape, but he wouldn’t complain. Not even to keep up appearances. This was what he’d aimed for all day and he’d finally gotten rewarded. Funny, this was ostensibly a punishment.

Boone didn’t move. Fingers stilled at his sides, his chest froze in an exhale, and his eyes remained fixated on the scene before him.

“If yes, get on your knees. If not--” Ignacio nodded and stilled his own sentence. It wasn’t necessary, with how Boone knelt immediately beside Arcade. 

Ignacio’s hand seemed gentler along Boone’s head. It stroked along the back and guided Boone forward. “Good. If you want things to stop at any time, say brahmin.”

He recalled setting that safety word. He groaned a bit louder than necessary and found Ignacio’s hand rough at his hair once more. Those hands forced his lips forward.

Boone nodded, so near to Arcade’s face he could feel the breath. 

“Strip. No, don’t rise.” 

Must’ve been a command for Boone, because Arcade was already naked and contrasted as sharply as he could to Ignacio, who was fully dressed, but for his cock out. 

Yes, it was definitely for Boone. The younger man reached down and tugged the hem of his tee shirt from his belted cargoes, then reached up and tugged along the fabric of the neckline until the white material was gone and all Arcade could see was bared chest in his peripheral. That, and a nicely sized bulge he wouldn’t mind playing with as well.

Had Boone come in here with one? Or had he already risen to the occasion? 

Arcade pulled back, sucked in through his nose, and pushed back onto Ignacio.

“Just like that.”

The tone was vague enough, Arcade wasn’t sure who was being praised. Him? Or Boone beside, who fumbled with getting his pants off while still remaining on the ground.

Both worked. Probably, both was what Ignacio meant anyway. He could be cruel in the most exquisite ways when he got like this, but he was sweet and sincere all the same in his gentle moments of appreciation.

This was no longer one of those moments, and Ignacio made sure Arcade knew it with a sharp tug on blonde curls, “Focus on me.”

For Ignacio to break into the staccato sentences, a sharp cry from his normal polysyllabic phrases, Arcade knew the night was going to be good. Ignacio was so wound up, Arcade was a bit surprised he hadn’t finished yet and it hadn’t been that long.

Beside him, Boone let out a quiet moan, then snapped it in, like he was embarrassed. 

Arcade glanced up through lidded eyes and watched a little smile curl over Ignacio’s lips. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

Just like that, Arcade was pushed far enough back he didn’t get to suck anymore. It was both a physical relief and a sexual frustration. But he stayed where that hand held him and darted his gaze over to Boone.

Boone opened his mouth, though not nearly enough.

Ignacio pushed the thick tip in, forced that mouth to take the first few inches. “Open wider. Yes, just like that.”

Like ‘discipline’ affected Boone the night before, so did that praising phrase. A proud cock twitched and leaked ade just a wonderful mess against the smattering of hair that made for a treasure trail along Boone’s tight abs. 

Arcade licked his lips and admired the view. He could focus on both of them, enjoy both of them when they were positioned like that. Unfortunately, he knew actually touching himself without permission when Ignacio got being the dominant one into his head was punished with Ignacio not having sex with him. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t. Momentary satisfaction wasn’t worth it.

Boone glanced up, then pushed himself forward. He paused, almost to the base, but kept his eyes focused on Ignacio.

“That’s right. Go a bit deeper,” that throaty voice all but purred with a mixture of satisfaction and approval. 

Boone obeyed, though not without a few moments of evident discomfort and choked gagging. 

Ignacio pulled him back after a few moments and nodded. “Have you gone deep like that before?” He allowed Boone to pull all the way off.

Licked lips, then an answer, “No.” It sounded more raw than usual.

“No what?”

“No, sir.” No hesitation. Boone lowered his gaze to the cock before him.

“You’re doing well. Arcade, why don’t you teach him more?”

Well, that got him excited. Arcade kept to his knees and crawled a bit closer to the scene. To Boone. “I can do that.”

Warm motivating fingers pet over his head and Ignacio pushed aside wavy locks of hair and worked his scalp sensually. “Good.”

Arcade put a steady hand on Boone’s lower back and ran it along the spine. “He likes it when you lick along the underside.” 

Boone leaned in and offered a tentative lick, from the base on up to the head. He paused at the tip and lapped the opening before he licked his way back down.

Ignacio let out a quiet breath and nodded. 

Arcade didn’t quite cheat when he scooted close enough to Boone that his own cock rubbed over the top of their thigh. He was teaching, after all, and Ignacio never said no friction at all. Still, better to do his job more plainly, so he stage-whispered at Boone’s closest ear. “Turn your head to the side a bit. Right, good. Now, go slowly, and use your tongue firmly. He’s really enjoying that.” 

Boone worked along that sensitive underside, putting all of his focus into what he’d been told. Boone shut his eyes and his body seemed to relax, right along the shoulders where Arcade’s hand played at the time. He kept right on moving though, with slight adjustments on every few passes that made Ignacio above give in and thrust.

Ignacio wouldn’t hold out long if they kept up like this.

Arcade glanced up at Ignacio and, sure enough, his lover seemed to be ready to finish. Well no, that wasn’t right. “Unless you want him coming immediately, you should pull back.”

Arcade felt an emptiness where a hand had been and watched it move over onto the back of Boone’s head.

“Don’t listen.”

Oh, now Boone shouldn’t listen. Arcade huffed. “I thought I was the teacher.”

“The teacher who should get on the bed.”

Damn it. Still, he rose slowly and took patient steps towards the bed. He attempted to keep watching, but Ignacio’s long familiar coat prevented him from seeing very much at all. Finally, he accepted that Ignacio was a cruel man who would come quickly and keep Arcade from enjoying it and he flopped over onto the center of the bed.

He still didn’t touch himself though, even though that pressure begged for the release he could hear his lover giving Ignacio. 

His lover. Not given a chance to come yet himself, he considered the thought. Would Boone consider it that way as well? Soldier types, sometimes they were all excited for the good times to be had, but when it came time for a date or emotions, they signed out like they were skipping a bill. One literally had left him with a bill in a restaurant back in the NCR, back before Ignacio.

Boone didn’t seem that way though. He seemed to commit well to his job and to those he cared for.

Ignacio spoke, “You did excellently.”

It wasn’t even aimed in his direction and his cock still jumped at the tone, at the words. Oh, Ignacio wasn’t wrong. He adored getting praised.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Good. Yes, lick it up.”

That painted a delightfully rich picture. Did it perhaps hang in strands along Boone’s chin, where Boone would reach his thick pink tongue down and lap it away? Or maybe Ignacio had pulled out and there was some along Boone’s cheeks, over the bridge of his nose, dripping into his mouth? Had Boone reached a hand up and wiped it away, only to realize he had nowhere to put it but in between perfect lips?

Maybe it wasn’t such a bust that Ignacio had. 

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now, I believe Arcade could use a bit of satisfaction. Don’t let him have it until I tell you to.”

Oh, that rotten, no good--

“Yes, sir.”

“If he does achieve it before instructed, you’ll both be culpable. I’d hate for that to happen.”

Ignacio was an evil man, pacifist though he claimed to be.

“Yes, sir.”

Arcade grinned though and squirmed against the mattress, ready for whatever would happen. Whatever would be done.

“Good boy. You can rise.”

Boone stepped over to the bed and knelt beside Arcade. A glance over at Ignacio, who nodded, then Boone reached over and grasped Arcade’s cock.

It was a good thing the grasp was a bit harder than he’d like because he was so wound after the hours of teasing he’d put Ignacio through all day, he could have come right there. As much as it would delight him to see what ‘discipline’ he’d get, he’d prefer to do something on purpose to earn that.

Still, the way Boone’s hand stroked after a few uncertain rough ones, it was enough for Arcade to have to think of other things to keep from emptying. 

It didn’t help that Ignacio moved right beside him on the bed as well, fully dressed. “Mmm, when Arcade’s eyes lid like that, he’s close.”

Boone took it under advisement it seemed because an instant later that hand did something it seemed much more comfortable with and it brushed all along Arcade’s slim stomach and chest. 

He couldn’t help but shift against those hands, seeking further stimulation. Every nerve in his body was lit up in a delicious way so that even simple touches made him beyond needy. “How long, exactly, am I supposed to wait?” 

“Until I’m satisfied you’ve learned your lesson.”

Like that would ever happen. Arcade huffed.

Ignacio conceded, “Or at least until I’m certain you won’t try the exact same thing tomorrow. I would like to get some work done during the day.”

He sighed. Fine. He had words, plenty of words.

Boone leaned in and kissed him. 

There went the words. Arcade couldn’t be mad though, at not being able to mouth off. No, he pulled Boone further over him, until Boone’s weight pressed him even further into the thin firm mattress. His large hands swiped over Boone’s back and shoulders once more and admired every muscular curve and angle along the broad back. 

Boone ground his own cock against Arcade’s, pressed their lengths together with the same needy intensity that his tongue darted and rolled with in the kiss. 

Arcade broke the kiss, tilted his head, and kissed hard at Boone’s neck. “Much as I enjoy that tongue, maybe too much, I wouldn’t want Ignacio to reveal just how wretched he is when he’s punishing.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t?” Ignacio smirked. “That’s not the Arcade I remember.”

“Let me rephrase. I wouldn’t want him to reveal that too soon. Happy with that addendum?” 

Ignacio shrugged and rolled almost lazily onto his back, with the barest tilt of his head in their direction to show he was still interested.

Boone grinned, something out of place given the circumstances, but no less appreciated. “You normally last longer. I didn’t realize just a little bit,” He rolled those delicious hips, “could get you so close.”

“W-well, don’t flatter yourself.”

“No, Arcade has no one to blame but himself.”

“You kept grinding against me when we were alone!”

“After you continued your incessant innuendo-laden conversations with Julie, yes. And after you cornered me, twice, in the tower. By then, it was only my extreme will that kept me from ravishing you right in the open.”

Arcade most assuredly did not whimper. He strangled that noise down and made it all the more noticeable instead, unfortunately. Seeking to recover, “You can’t blame me for that, I have--” A Boone, right between his legs, using tricks Arcade had taught him on how to please Ignacio. 

Boone sucked along the tip, then descended lower at a steady pace until the tip of his nose nestled against Arcade’s blonde curls. Boone glanced up beneath heavy lids and seemed to focus on Arcade’s face.

He smiled and sat up a bit with the help of his elbows. One hand reached out and tenderly stroked along Boone’s right bicep. “You learn… very fast.”

“He is a quick learner. I appreciated that.”

“Yeah, I could tell. Did you appreciate it into his throat, or on his face?” 

Boone snorted but kept right on going, using that decently skilled mouth just like Arcade had said. Just like Ignacio’s hand had guided him to. He popped off for a breath, then dipped down and turned to lick and half suck along the underside.

“I had meant to pull out.”

Arcade felt his toes curl and crack. “Down the throat then?” 

“He swallowed very well.”

Boone was already quite flushed like Arcade likely was, but he seemed to go a more vibrant shade at their discussion of him. 

Or perhaps that was all in Arcade’s head, like how he could imagine Boone pulling up off his cock and moving to straddle so Boone could be impaled on Arcade’s cock. How Boone would cry out in pleasure, oh yes he would, and move his hips at whatever pace he wanted, torturing and bringing Arcade higher until he had no choice but to fill Boone up with his come.

Boone pulled off with a pleasant slippery pop to his lips. He looked to Ignacio. He seemed pleading, but unsure how to get the words out.

Or, at least, Arcade felt that way. He cast his gaze to his darker skinned lover with a similar expression no doubt.

Ignacio was clearly hard again, tight against his thick pants. If Arcade didn’t know better, he’d say Ignacio was taking something to get himself up so frequently in their most recent escapades. Or maybe absence really did make the heart grow fonder, and the dick grow harder.

“There’s lube in the nightstand. Get it.”

Boone moved quicker than Arcade could, so he just lay back and let Boone rush for it. Just like that, Boone was back over him, with the lube in hand. Instead of opening it, like he had so easily the night before, Boone just held the bottle.

“Something wrong?” Arcade wasn’t actually sure how to read that expression. Boone was an interesting one with his faces sometimes, but here he seemed a mixture of unbearably turned on, and uncertain. Or, again, maybe that was just Arcade. He had a tendency to project and Ignacio had reminded him of it throughout the day.

Boone clicked the cap back and squeezed some out across his hand.

“Oh, you’re planning on going deep again? I don’t know, I almost needed a Stimpack to tighten up today.” Not that it was a complaint.

Boone pressed his lips together in concentration until they were nothing more than a thin line of pink above and below, surrounded by lightly tanned skin. With great care, Boone reached out towards Arcade’s entrance.

No, not towards his entrance. Towards Arcade’s needy length.

Arcade hadn’t expected it, hadn’t prepared his body for it. So he moaned. He had to, with how nice that firm but slick grip felt along it. “Handjobs feel so much nicer that way.”

“I thought we could do it this way.” Arcade hadn’t been off with how he’d read Boone’s expression. Boone seemed pretty unsure in his tone as well.

Do it this way. Handjob? No, Boone seemed alright doing that, where would the hesitance come from if this was all he wanted to do? Blow job? No, that was right out. Oh.

Oh.

In addition to being lucky enough to have two incredible lovers, Arcade had been blessed with some sort of sexual fantasy sixth sense, it seemed. He thought it, and so did they, and then he reaped the rewards.

Yes, he nodded, though he found himself quite unable to say anything right then.

Boone nodded back then pulled his palm free from Arcade and moved to press a finger into his own entrance.

Arcade had thought to do it for Boone but he wasn’t about to complain. Besides, Boone seemed to have experience with at least this part of things. 

Soft pants escaped parted lips. Boone knelt and spread his legs enough to give a bit more room to work. He leaned in on one elbow, positioned forward over Arcade’s lower body. Eyes were glazed but seemed pleased. Boone managed three fingers with apparent ease. He did not hesitate to work them in, deeper and deeper, until they stilled at the last knuckle, where fingers met palm. 

Ignacio reached in and uncovered his own length from constricting material. Lazy movements brought it to full hardness.

It occurred to him that lubrication didn’t lend itself to well to condoms, but luckily the lubrication wasn’t on all that thick. Ignacio would forgive him wiping himself on the comforter before he put on the condom.

Within the minute, while Arcade rolled the rubber down, Boone pulled his hand out and moved over Arcade’s hips. “Ready?”

Of course, it would be hyperbole to say he was born ready, but he didn’t think it would be by much. “Go on then.” 

Boone descended. He opened up and took Arcade’s head right in, though he stilled after. Steady breaths puffed out and Boone lowered harder. His thighs strained but held Boone for as long as he liked until he reached halfway.

“Are you all right?” Arcade pressed firm fingers to those thighs, rubbed at them to provide a bit of alternative stimulation.

“Yeah. Just. This is a lot different than fingers.”

First time? Or did Arcade read too far into it? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to ask. He wanted to enjoy and to help Boone enjoy. “Go as slow as you need.”

“Well. Yeah. I am on top. I’m setting the pace.”

Oh, really? A part of him wanted to thrust up, set the pace just a bit faster. That part was currently halfway inside Boone, so he didn’t let it call the shots. Arcade smirked and nodded, “Well then, set the pace.” And do the work. Arcade could lay back and enjoy Boone if that was what Boone wanted.

Boone shut his eyes. Again, he moved his body infinitesimally closer to the base but held it. 

Maybe this was too much? It was just exactly what Arcade wanted, but if Boone needed to--

Boone slammed himself down and curled out a long moan.

Moans mingled and Arcade fell back fully onto the pillow. “You could have warned me.”

“Oh, sorry. I guess I’ll have to make it up to you.” Boone’s tone was like Arcade’s the night before when he’d been on his knees insisting on unnecessary apologies.

With the reminder of that, Arcade thrust up into Boone's warm body. “You’d better. You could certainly start by rolling your hips again.” Yes, exactly like that. Arcade bit his bottom lip and let his eyes close in pleasure. “And I wouldn’t mind another kiss.”

A kiss he received, right on the lips. Followed by another at his cheek, that moved into a kiss at his jaw, and down to sucking kisses at the throat.

Naughty man. Arcade scratched along that bared back. “Don’t stop moving. Or I might start thrusting.”

Boone renewed his hip rolling, worked himself over Arcade with a deeper intensity. All the while, he bit, sucked, licked, and of course kissed, all over Arcade’s neck.

It was too much, but he held himself back from finishing. Barely. Especially with how those hips moved against him, and with how tight Boone was, it was a difficult task. 

Ignacio rolled onto his side. His right hand stroked leisurely along his cock. “You two have permission to come once I do.”

Impatient, Arcade reached out with his own right hand and moved to help his lover out with their erection.

“But you’re not allowed to touch me.”

Again. He was certain he’d never met anyone quite so diabolical in bed. Arcade rolled his eyes and joined his right hand where his left still stroked and encouraged Boone to move. “Monster.”

“Mmhm. Good, I’m glad you understand.”

He opened his mouth to reply but Boone cut him off with another deep kiss. Far be it from him to end a kiss that pleasant just because he wanted to tell Ignacio where he could shove his nonsense. So Arcade gave in. He did what he could to heighten the kiss between them; he dug nails into their back, he thrust up when Boone pushed down, he moaned loudly enough it threatened to test the Vault soundproofing.

Boone pulled from the kiss. “You could use a workout.”

He’d be insulted if there wasn’t a sexy smirk on those lips, implying pretty heavily he was joking. He still huffed. “Then get all this weight off me and I’ll get on top.”

Boone did as bid.

Arcade was back in him within a moment and he pushed Boone’s face right into the pillow. “If all my workouts were this nice, I’d be about as muscular as you.”

Boone didn’t answer, he just shifted his knees a bit and gave Arcade a better angle to fuck him into the mattress.

Well, even if that’s not what Boone meant to do, it was the result. Arcade caught Boone by both hips and tugged him back. “Is this what you wanted?”

“Yeah.”

No 'yes sir' here. Well, fine. That way just as well, he didn’t want to come too soon, after all. “Should I take you hard?” He gave a few rough strokes inward and noted how Boone’s face seemed to open up with pleasure.

“Yeah.”

Arcade stilled his hips. “I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t. Ignacio doesn’t even look remotely ready to come again. You did too good of a job on him. Maybe we should--”

Ignacio interrupted, “Actually, you should continue. Now.”

Well, if it was a command how could he turn it down? Arcade pushed right up until his pubic mound met Boone’s shapely ass. He held the position for a moment before he slid out. Arcade was not a sadistic man, usually, but he found a perverse delight in the sighs both of his lovers gave from only one of his movements. Like the moment people waited for, at the end of a drumroll, they seemed to hold on for when he’d push back in.

Arcade did not disappoint. Fingers gripped Boone’s ass hard enough to leave little curved marks, and he slammed forward.

Boone clawed at the bedding but didn’t pull away. In fact, he pushed back towards Arcade, seeming to want even more. 

“Hard like this?” He teased, of course he teased. He knew Boone wanted it, every single line on Boone’s face said it, not to mention the way Boone moved with him, not against him. 

“Yeah. Fuck.”

“Fuck what?” He recalled Boone’s torment of him the night before and renewed his taunting efforts, even as he pushed hard like Boone wanted.

“Fuck me.”

It almost ruined the fun, how quickly Boone admitted what he wanted. Almost. It also reinvigorated his thrusts, so that part was fine.

“Please.” Boone tugged at the bedding with curled fingers brought into a semi-fist. He stretched it hard against the tight weaving. 

“Please what?” He laid himself out over Boone a bit, got closer to that needy face. “What do you want?”

“I want…” Boone bucked against Arcade. 

“What?”

“Please, take me. Just…” Even with a clear coating of heady sexual pleasure, the words finished a bit embarrassed, “use me.”

Well, he wasn’t a monster like someone was. He cast a glance at Ignacio and willed him to be able to read minds for a few moments, enough to know what Arcade thought of this all. Then he did as he was asked.

He jerked Boone back a little, so his hips were at a better position. So Arcade could use him.

Nails scraped along Boone’s back. “Is this what you want? To be taken?”

“Yes.”

No more yeah. He wondered… “Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

He smirked at Ignacio before he rewarded Boone’s earnest and submissive response with exactly what Boone wanted. “I wonder how long you’ve wanted this.” He fucked Boone a bit harder at the end of the sentence, let his motions serve as their own punctuation. “How long you’ve wanted to be splayed out… spread wide. Taking a nice cock… so deep.”

If Arcade talked, he knew Ignacio would get closer. If he could talk and get Boone satisfied with that, instead of with constant brutal physical stimulation, that worked out for Arcade, because there was no way he could keep going at only the pace they both wanted.

It seemed to work well enough too. Ignacio flipped back onto his back, the sign he was close. 

Verbal stimulation it was. “You can feel me so deeply, can’t you?”

“Yes, sir…”

“How long have you wanted me in you like this?” Maybe it was cruel to make Boone admit it here, if Boone even knew. But it would get Ignacio off, probably. Hopefully, before it got Arcade too far gone to quit before coming.

“Since… Lake Mead. Skinny dipping.”

Filthy. Oh God, he shuddered there and had to slow his thrusts or he’d be through. “That’s a long time to harbor this need.” 

“Yeah.”

Back to ‘yeah’, but he couldn’t be mad. Arcade could barely keep thoughts in order enough to continue probing with words while he prodded Boone with his cock. “Have you thought about this then? Me… over you. Grinding you into the bed.”

Boone bit his lip, from need it seemed, but also something else Arcade couldn’t quite read through thick foggy lenses. Then Boone nodded. “A lot, lately.”

He was not going to come, he was not going to come, he was not going t-- Something wet looped over his hips and ass and he glanced to Ignacio and noted the lines of come that now embellished Arcade's own hips. Well. He’d get Boone to lick that off after. Probably.

For the moment, he stopped talking and started moving how he wanted.

Fast, rough, beautiful. He reached down under Boone and caught up that cock. “I want to feel you come for me.”

Boone whined. 

Arcade did not, but only because he was so focused on fucking he couldn’t quite make any noise with his throat anymore.

After Ignacio, he wasn’t sure who came next. It hardly mattered. Right around when he felt the telltale trembles of orgasm washing over him, he felt Boone tighten intensely, and he felt the cock in his hand twitch and shift. 

He stilled, held himself as deep as he could manage for a few moments, before he kept thrusting at the pace he’d worked before. “That’s right.” Words stumbled out from a hoarse throat. “Go on. He came. You can.”

Boone jerked into the hand, let it pump him dry into the sheets below. “Thank you, sir.”

Arcade kissed his shoulder, then pulled out and rolled to the opposite side of Boone, away from Ignacio. “It was worth it, teasing you all day. I didn’t learn anything.”

Ignacio laughed, though he seemed to do it despite himself. “No, I didn’t figure you would.” He rolled towards them both and wrapped an arm about Boone. “How are you?”

Boone nodded, face smooshed into the pillow. 

Arcade wrapped a long leg around one of Boone’s now stretched out ones. “Good.”

After a few minutes’ calming afterglow silence, Boone was the one to break the silence, surprisingly. “Do you think, maybe next time.” Boone ended the sentence as a fragment and pushed his face right back into the giving pillow.

“We can’t know what you want if you don’t tell us,” Arcade situated onto his side.

Boone sighed and lifted only enough to look over, “Fine. Do you think next time, you two could both.” He choked again, and pushed back into the pillow, like an extremely ineffective turtle pulling into its shell.

“We would like to make sure you enjoy it how you want to as well, Boone.” Ignacio attempted to coax the words then, with a gentle, reassuring tone.

“‘Discipline’ me?” Boone didn’t bother to start the sentence from the beginning, he gave it a heavy finish and fell face forward once more.

Oh, yes. Yes, they could. One look at Ignacio’s hungry eyes said his lover felt exactly the same way.

But not that night. Arcade pressed a kiss to Boone’s shoulder, then rolled away. “Absolutely. But for now, I need a shower.”

“I could go for a shower.” Ignacio stood as well. “Especially when I consider how much fun next time will be.”

“Would you two like to join me?” He made certain to include Boone. Didn’t want him lying in his own come for long. 

Boone lay there in the middle for several long seconds before he rolled away and went to join them.


	5. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boone is tortured, mocked, humiliated.
> 
> He has a great time.

Boone struggled against the rope, but it didn’t give way. They’d tied him with precision. “You’re going to regret this.” He wanted to see them, but the blindfold they’d placed blinded fully. Not even a sliver of light came in, above or below.

An arrogant voice sounded directly beside his left ear, “I wonder, do you think this NCR nobody realizes how many people have said those exact words?”

Something metal bent, like a can being crushed underfoot. “No, I doubt he’s got the brain cells to spark a thought like that.”

He swallowed hard, despite himself. He forced his lips into a sneer and held them. He didn’t have to take this sitting down, even if he was tied to a chair.

“Do you think anyone will notice him missing?” The voice at his left was almost quiet.

“It’s doubtful. We have all the time we need to…” Something metallic filled the pause, like someone working at a reloading bench, “extract the information. Though, he could certainly speed things along by behaving.”

“Will you behave?” A hand stroked his cheek, then clutched Boone by the jaw and forced him to turn towards them. “Will you tell us what we want to know?”

“No. Never.”

He expected something but the slap across the cheek still shocked. He sucked in a quiet breath but it was still far too loud in the otherwise silent room. “Go to Hell.”

“Oh, tough little soldier, he doesn’t want to talk.”

“That’s alright. I’m sure we can carry the conversation until he stops being shy.” This voice was off to the right and the noises were ones Boone could identify. It was definitely a reloading bench or a similar type of work table. There was a press. Whoever spoke used it to end his sentences with a harsh metallic crunch.

They talked so normally, as though there weren’t a man tied to a chair between them. As though this happened every day.

Boone swallowed. He’d faced worse. He could handle them, no matter what.

“Oh, look at him swallow. He’s nervous.”

More metallic noises, and then the speaker on the right said, “Is that right? Are you nervous?”

Training taught him not to talk. Anything you say will be abused. Even the smallest conversation can lead to people dead. Better to take a bullet with honor than destroy your entire group from cowardice.

“Look at him panting. It’s almost a shame, what we’ll have to do to him if he doesn’t start listening better.”

“I think he’s listening just fine. That’s about all he can do here.” More noises, though this time it sounded like the cap on a bottle being flicked back. It wasn’t as strong as a lighter, so that wasn’t it. “It’s the obedience that needs to be worked on.”

“One last chance, NCR.” That hand from before stroked the same cheek it had struck just a minute before, as though it was giving a false apology. That voice had the same feeling to it. 

Boone could smell the one to his left, though oddly it was some a sweet sort of musk that stuck out, not sweat or dust. It had to be some cologne he didn’t know the name of, that probably cost about as much as he made in a month. He scowled and turned his cheek away. “Bite me.”

The tongue on his neck made him shiver with shock, and Boone felt shame, but more than that he felt something else stir. He tried to avoid the thought, ignore the sensation, but then the teeth caught right along the side of his neck.

“Like that?” Mocking.

He tried to shift, to tip the chair. 

Hands caught it and forced him to stay still. “Don’t make us tie you somewhere more secure. Like, say, from a ring in the ceiling.” Hot breath viciously caressed Boone’s stinging cheek. “I doubt that would be more comfortable than this chair.”

“Go fuck yourself.” He spit. He didn’t know if it hit them but he did it and he would not be sorry. They could eat a bullet. He’d never talk.

The one to Boone’s right sighed. “You really shouldn’t have done that. My associate here, he has a thing about cleanliness. Language like that suggests your mouth is anything but.” Something quiet happened over there, like a pouring or squirting of a bottle.

The voice to his left was farther away now. “No, it’s fine.” It was anything but fine. That much was obvious, even to a bound and blindfolded Boone.

He did worry a little bit. But he felt something else twisted up in his gut, so he ignored the feelings altogether. 

Metal struck something solid, like a machete being sharpened. Boone had heard those sounds before. He’d ended those sounds too.

He smirked and inhaled deeply. These two could talk tough. He’d been in worse.

Left voice was on the right now, “That looks wonderfully sharp. You know, sharp knives are actually safer than dull ones.” His voice carried back to the left, right against Boone. “Did you know that?”

He turned his head or tried. A hand brought Boone back, forced him to face the speaker, even if Boone couldn’t see them.

“I read that before the Great War, people would use the sharpest, thinnest knives they could find in order to gather mushrooms. They’d know a knife was sharp enough by laying it gently over their finger and seeing if the pressure of the knife’s own weight was enough to cut through the skin. If blood welled up, it was ready to use.”

"That knife looks ready."

"It certainly does, doesn't it? A little pain now for all the satisfaction later." It was obvious how sadistic Left was.

Something pressed up against Boone’s cheek. It felt like a finger, but there was something slick on it. Like blood.

“He looks good like that, wouldn’t you say?” Left said to Right.

“Certainly better than he looked before. Put some on the other cheek.”

More wetness smeared on like paint. “Like that?”

“Perfect.” Right voice came closer to being in front. He lowered, both in physical presence and in tone. “Look at that.”

He didn’t know what they were looking at but he didn’t like the silence more than he didn’t like it when they talked.

“You’re looking a bit uncomfortable beneath those cargoes, soldier boy. Is there something you want to tell us?” Mocking. Left could fuck off.

Boone hated that tone but he couldn’t help what his body thought of it. “No.”

“Oh, he’s shy. Don’t worry, NCR. We won’t tell anyone if you just tell us what we want.” That voice moved to the right once more, until it was beside Boone’s ear. “We could all enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“Loose lips sink ships.” He sneered again, though facing forward. He refused to even turn to acknowledge either.

“Those lips look loose enough to suck us off.” 

Boone couldn’t help what his body did. He couldn’t. 

“He likes that thought. Look how the pants lift. Have you been this turned on the whole time?”

“It was the knife. I think he likes it.” Left voice pulled at his tank top, tugged the white material free from uncomfortably tight belted pants. “This shirt’s in the way. Let’s get rid of it.”

Material pulled taut over his sweating stomach, just an inch from the skin. Then a sound of cutting, of knife against cloth, forcing it to part. Fists grabbed at the material and Boone realized both of them tore at his shirt and left it in shreds around him and his chair.

He thought he’d felt exposed before they’d cut the clothing away. 

Boone doubled his efforts. He sat upright, stiffer than his upper lip. 

“How handsome.” Left caressed him again with hands that threatened to but didn’t harm him then. “It’s a shame, really.”

“He does have a pretty face. And lovely lips. Too bad he won’t use them to talk. Just a few simple words and we could let him go.”

“He’s far too stubborn for that. But I bet.” Left rose tall and spoke from far above Boone. “I bet we could have fun with him, even if he won’t talk yet.”

Boone turned his head away, towards Right, when he heard the zipper.

Right stood as well and worked loudly at his own zipper. 

Boone sealed his lips tight together. He closed his legs at the knees as much as being tied at the ankles to the chair would allow.

Right laughed. “It seems he’s stubborn for this as well. But no matter. I have something for that.” Right walked away, with heavy hard soles that slapped against the worn tiles and kicked up dust.

Boone coughed but kept his mouth shut and choked it in. He’d suffer through the dust that clogged his throat, but he wouldn’t open up for these men.

Left stepped closer. “Ooh, that’s a clever little device. We might need a bigger one to hold his mouth open wide enough though.”

No. Boone attempted to force the solid wooden chair onto its side once more, with a heavy toss of his upper body to the left, then right. 

Someone sat on his lap. A stiff something pressed up against Boone’s belly. It was warm, unbearably warm, and familiar in ways he wouldn’t admit. Left spoke then, right there in front of Boone. “You can fight all you want.” Then a quick kiss to Boone’s forehead.

Boone opened his mouth, ready to tell them where to take their kisses. 

From behind, something wrapped around him, something shoved into his mouth. 

Cold and metal, though with a bit of rubber give, it went between teeth and forced his jaw wide.

“You should feel how this soldier boy’s cock jumped at that. He wants it so bad, even he doesn’t know.” Left taunted while he ground against Boone.

“I knew the NCR men loved it rough but I had no idea he’d like it this rough.”

“Look at that luscious long neck. Think he could fit all of me down his throat?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Left rose up from Boone’s lap and balanced on the chair so he could press his cock along Boone’s throat. “I’d say open wide, but…” Without another pause, Left pushed in as deep as Boone could take, and then a bit deeper.

He gagged, he choked, he felt tears sting at his eyes but refuse to fall, even if no one but him would know they’d come. He tried to let his mind focus on only enduring, on not fighting it or feeling it, but his body had other ideas. His cock begged for something and he prayed they wouldn’t notice.

No luck.

“He’s so hard,” Right taunted at his ear, uncomfortably close. “If we had him out of the chair, he wouldn’t even run. I think he’d lay there and take it.”

“I think he would. He’s certainly taking it here well. I’m almost in all the way.” Each pull back brought Left further into Boone’s mouth, further along down his throat.

He’d beg for air, but he wasn’t someone who begged. Besides, that was a bit difficult to do when there was a cock in his throat, slamming into him like he was a Gomorrah whore.

Maybe he couldn’t breathe but the moan came out clearly, and shamefully, enough.

“Would you like to lay on your back, legs tied to the ceiling, ass wide for the world?” Left gripped the back of his head with long fingers and thumbed at his beret. “You’d give it up for anyone, wouldn’t you? You'd just let everyone use you however they wanted. You'd eat it up.”

Hands groped at his shoulders, his neck, made him feel dirty even in mundane places. A tweak to the nipple, probably from Right, made him groan low against the cock that violated his throat. He couldn't help how his body responded, how his dick rose.

“Look how quickly he got used to it. He’s moving with you now. What a little slut.”

The unbearably thick cock pulled free and Boone took the time to gasp and swallow as much as he could manage. Drool gathered around the edges of his mouth and streaked down his face. He was humiliated.

The buckle at the back of his head was worked by someone's quick hands and a moment later the ring in his mouth dropped down onto his lap.

“Would you keep that mouth open for us, while I take your throat and my associate here takes your ass? Would you behave?” Left was so close to him again. His breath smelled faintly of Nuka-cola.

Boone turned his head away. “I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

Right sighed, “Well, it’s just as well. We weren’t really giving you a choice here.”

Left moved off the chair and paced two steps away with heavy footsteps against the floor.

He’d tried to tip out of the chair twice already, but when they tipped him over and he slammed to the ground, he felt nothing short of shock before the pain set into his shoulder and speared its way through his body.

In his shock, he vaguely recalled training. Never freeze. Focus on the enemy. Make plans, follow through. Training hadn’t mentioned what it was like when two strong men held ropes only they could see. It hadn’t mentioned how he would feel when a boot nudged at his cock that strained so hard against his cargo pants. 

No one had told him how easy it was to be captured. He’d known it, but no one had said anything.

He tasted the dust that made him choke minutes before. It was there on the tiles that his lips pressed uncomfortably against, thanks to the hand at the back of his neck. 

Left leaned in and whispered, “There’s an Oxford in front of you that needs cleaning. Your mouth might be filthy, but it’s marginally less so than this floor you’ve made such a mess on.”

He didn’t have much of a choice, did he? So he opened his mouth and jabbed his tongue against the shoe in front of him. It didn’t taste like much; worn leather and some dust and dirt. It was the thought of what he looked like then, of what he was doing, that got him turned on.

Boone pressed his legs together, attempted to hide what he knew they knew.

Left released his head and rose, then pressed a foot to his back, pushed him down until Boone was flat on his belly, feeling like nothing more than a lowly worm.

That same shoe moved a bit, shifted until the top of it pressed between Boone’s legs again. It wasn’t gentle, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

It made him twitch and want to squirm, wriggle in the dirt.

“That shoe looks clean. I think there are better uses for that tongue. Help me lift him.” Left spoke to Right like Boone wasn’t more than a thing to be lifted and pulled and used.

He felt the thick concrete and tiles hard against his knees. There were spots where tile had broken and long ago been removed and he could feel those grooves rather painfully against the caps. 

Left urged him forward.

Towards what he wasn’t sure until he felt his face pressed against firm flesh. He shifted, attempted to pull back. 

Left at his ear whispered, “Are you ok?”

Arcade.

Boone nodded, “I’m fine.”

Just like that, Left forced him back towards Right’s ass. “Then go on. Lick him. Use that nice tongue you’ve got.”

It didn’t taste much different than the shoe, all things considered. He knew what he expected, and this was not that. Still, it wasn’t unpleasant to do, even if the situation was awful. He worked a bit faster, swirled his tongue around the puckered spot he could feel. 

“I think NCR’s done this before.”

“Is that right? Have you done this, soldier boy?” Left pressed a kiss to his cheek. It almost felt gentle, sweet.

Boone shook his head but didn’t dare pull away. He didn’t really want to when those soft sighs were so nice to hear. He was doing that to them. He could feel them clench and relax against his tongue and he doubled his efforts to get them doing it more. To get them moaning a bit louder, so he could hear it better.

“Look how eager he is now. What a filthy little manwhore.” Left reached around Boone’s body and reached for the belt buckle. Quick fingers snapped it apart, then tugged the belt free at a slow pace. “Do you want him to suck you now? His mouth’s very good at that.”

He felt his body moved, shifted enough that Right was able to press a thick cock up against his cheek. 

“He wore a ring for you, I don’t know if he’d be able to take me without it.”

“He won’t bite. I’m sure even with a brain like his he knows nothing good would happen if he did.” The warning was thick, like the cock that edged at Boone’s lips.

“You were right. I think he’ll do just fine. Won’t you, NCR?” Two hands cupped the back of Boone’s head, coaxed it to move further along Right. 

Boone mumbled, words muffled by the thick cock in his throat.

“So he speaks.” Left ground his hard shoe against Boone’s own needy cock. “That sounded like a ‘yes’ to me, didn’t it to you?”

Right tugged Boone’s head back. “Was that a yes?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

His cock begged for release, but only found a heavy heel pressed against it. “Yes, sir.” He swallowed heavy and sighed relief when Right forced his head forward once more, onto that length.

“Good boy.” Left moved the foot away and leaned in to kiss along his neck. Hands groped roughly along Boone’s front, tweaked at nipples, scratched at abs, and finally dipped down into Boone’s tighter pants. “Good boys get a treat.”

Treats could be anything, but here it seemed to be Left taking Boone’s pants off and carefully around heavy boots. The boots Left didn’t pay attention to after that.

Right released him. A second later, he stepped back and moved somewhere nearby. 

Boone felt a loss. His jaw ached, but so did he. 

“Look at his ass.” Two hands slapped down on it, and Left pressed his thumbs up against Boone’s entrance. “He went commando today. Do you think all soldier boys do?”

“Not in my experience. He must be an especially filthy one.” 

Boone shifted from his position on the floor. He wanted to say something, to find the right words, but he felt dust settle on his tongue and weigh it down. He licked his lips.

“You’d like us to both fill you, wouldn’t you? Maybe we could bring some friends here, prop you over the front desk and take you until your legs go numb and come spills out your puckered ass.” Left spit. Left pushed that spit in with a thumb.

“He’s probably used to it. Look at how filthy he is.”

“Well, you know these types, it’s a good thing we brought plenty of condoms. Wouldn’t want to run out. We might catch something.”

Unlikely, but he found himself nodding along. Oh, he was the most filthy. The dirtiest.

That tongue against his ass surprised him more than anything so far, but he eagerly spread his legs enough to give even easier access.

Left pulled back after a moment and pressed a finger or two in. “Hand me some of that gun oil.”

Those words got him harder--if that was possible. It hardly mattered that clearly wasn’t real gun oil. There was a flip back sound, instead of the normal twist cap that most he’d used had. Plus, there were no heavy fumes, no crisp scents, nothing to-- he was overthinking it.

So he stopped.

Left applied the ‘gun oil’ along Boone’s crack, and pressed two slick oiled fingers into the second knuckle. “He just sucks them right in. Look at this little manwhore. You want it, don’t you?”

Boone really wanted to continue resisting. To put up that facade of fight. This was the job, and he wanted to do it well. Hell, it had taken them nearly three days to even get him to admit exactly what fantasy he had, so it felt a bit ungrateful to give in so quickly.

But he sincerely wanted it. 

Boone moved his hands a bit, grasped at the floor around him as far as the ropes would allow, tied as his hands were together. Though the ropes were tight, they weren’t uncomfortable. He was grateful the leg ones had been removed though, those had been irritating in ways he didn’t realize until he was tipped over in the chair.

“Do you want it?” This time, Right asked it, though gentler.

“Yes, sir.” It felt like defeat, but the kind that could get him excited, not the kind that would get him killed. So he allowed it and allowed them the satisfaction of hearing him say it.

The kiss to Boone’s shoulder was the last light touch before Arc--Left tugged his fingers free and lined something else up.

“I’m going to fill you so fully, you’ll feel it for days.” 

He could feel the shifting movement of the condom. It shifted around Arcade’s head and stretched back as his lover pushed forward. 

Boone nodded, though he wasn’t sure why. Just a beat later, he felt hands on his chin and returned himself fully to the scene. The hand was probably Right’s. Left was busy stretching his ass out.

“Open your mouth. I want you again.”

He did. And in went the cock. This one had a condom on too and he wondered if they planned to switch out between the two of them, alternating between who fucked him and how.

That idea definitely had appeal, even if it wasn't supposed to if this role was to work.

He groaned and carefully rose as their hands made him until he was on knees and bound hands. It was awkward, but they didn’t seem to care.

They used him. Hard, rough, punishing thrusts. They timed it so they both slammed as far into him as they could manage at the same time, leaving him fuller than he’d ever been. Then they tore away from him, left him gaping everywhere and wanting more.

“I’d like to use him like you are now,” Such a casual statement.

Left pulled free.

They switched, just like Boone had wanted. Just how he'd asked for the day before. They switched and Right’s cock pressed in all the way in one smooth thrust, while Left ahead pulled off the condom and slapped that cock right up against Boone’s cheeks a few times before it forced past his lips.

Right bent over him, reached around and stroked Boone with one hand, while he tweaked at pink nipples with the other. “I’m going to fill you. When I finish, you’ll be utterly soaked.”

His mind attempted to reason that this was a lie. He shook that thought away and moaned like the whore they were making him into. They were obviously going to come inside and fill him with so much come he wouldn’t be able to walk. His brain could fuck off because his body was busy.

He couldn’t talk but that was mostly how he liked it anyway. Both cocks deep, he gagged a lot, but they didn’t seem to mind. Above him, Left just kept saying something Boone couldn’t make out, but it sounded appropriate to the situation. It sounded depraved, so much even a bastard like Left didn't say it aloud.

Right slapped deep. Hips held tight, pressed right up against Boone’s bared ass. “That’s right. Take it all.”

It may as well have been Left saying that, because a moment later he felt them empty in like Ignacio had a few nights before, so far down his throat he couldn’t help but just swallow and swallow until it was all gone but a little drizzle that slid out around the edges of his lips.

He licked that come away too and swallowed it.

Hands tugged, pulled harder at his cock and he felt like he’d shoot so hard, he’d rocket into space and join Jason Bright. He didn’t, of course. Thankfully, since those ghouls creeped him out more than he liked to admit. The thought brought him back to Earth anyway though.

He panted out through his orgasm, until he felt the last shudder and he could just focus on letting all the intensity roll off of him, washed away in a pleasant glow.

“Are you ready to talk?” Right’s panting voice beside him, above him, somewhere.

Boone couldn’t focus, but he shook his head anyway. “Never. You can torture me forever. I won’t talk.”

“As promising as that sounds, I think we’ll just have to let you go.” A hand toyed with the blindfold knot.

Boone shut his eyes tight. As much as he wanted to see his lovers again, a bright light was the last thing he wanted along with it. To his surprise, the light didn’t seem that harsh. He peeked one eye open and found there was a dull bluish lighting above.

He blinked his eyes several times but found adjusting to sight once again surprisingly easy. Then he saw them.

He may have spent, but he apparently still had some. His cock twitched and he rose up onto his knees to get a good look at them. “You two clean up nice.”

“I’d say you do because you will, but right now you’re naked and covered in grime.” Arcade moved to carefully untie the wrist bonds.

Those looked like Chairman suits. That wasn’t exactly what he’d imagined the entire time they were ‘interrogating’ him, but it certainly slid right into place in his fantasy, like a missing puzzle piece. He swallowed. “You both clean up very nice.”

Arcade chuckled, though he seemed a bit embarrassed by the compliment. “Here, let’s go to the bed.”

“This place didn’t have a bed last time I was here.”

“You mean when FISTO was having its way with our de facto boss?” Arcade laughed louder here, then shook his head like he wanted the thought gone. “The things you two get up to,” He pulled Boone into a side hug and assisted in keeping Boone upright on the walk over.

Boone lay in the middle of them both, nude while they were in their fancy suits. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if he was supposed to do something. He just didn’t know.

Ignacio curled up against Boone’s chest and pressed a kiss to his neck, right at the spot he loved getting attention on. 

Boone sighed, content. “I hope I was ok at that. That it… wasn’t too much.”

Arcade laced one leg in between Boone’s. “Too much? Ignacio, do you remember the time we found that old canned cream aerosol?”

“I try to forget.”

“That was maybe too much. And it still was fun.”

“It took me three months to get the smell out, Arcade. I’m still irritated with you.”

“You loved it.”

“That was my best tie. You know how I felt about that tie.”

“Yeah, because I got it for you.” 

Sometimes he felt like he was supposed to leave when they started talking like a couple, focused on two, not three.

Boone relaxed further into the bed, grin on his face. “Thanks.”

Arcade nodded and curled up next to him as well. “You know we enjoyed that too, right?”

He considered that statement.

“You… do know that, right?” Ignacio now.

“I do.” He relaxed when they did. 

“You know, soldier boy. I may have a few naughty NCR military fantasies. If we’re doing roleplay now.” Arcade shrugged, as though he wasn’t totally committed to the idea, even though Boone could feel just how interested Arcade was.

“Of course you do.” Ignacio rolled onto his back.

“As if you don’t! I’m sorry Mr. Chooses to Work With NCR On a Daily Basis, I didn’t realize I was alone in these fantasies.” He did one of his wild gestures, tapped Boone a little bit on accident

Boone laughed. He didn’t try to hold it, he didn’t bother to stop until it was all out. Then he shook his head. “Yeah, I can help. If you want me to.” He glanced from his Left to his Right.

They nodded.


	6. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignacio ends things.

Ignacio blinked, abruptly tugged from his thoughts. “Yes?”

“Should we stop and eat now, or try to make it all the way to your place without stopping?” Arcade’s voice rose in just the way to suggest which one he preferred, and he generally put what he wanted first, with least appealing decisions last. Not always, sometimes he’d switch it up, seemingly just to obfuscate things, even if Arcade denied it.

“What do you think, Boone?”

“Normally I’d say we march and eat on the way if you want to be there by sunset.”

“Hmm, that’s reasonable. Is this not a normal situation?” He glanced to Boone, attempted to discern what that expression meant, but he remained uncertain. Given time, he’d figure Boone out like he had Arcade, but he’d had years of experience with Arcade and not nearly as much time with Boone.

Though, the time he had spent was wonderful. He sipped his water and waited while Boone considered the question.

Arcade huffed. “I still think we should stop. Why rush getting you back to a job where you admitted it yourself, you’re not feeling fully appreciated?”

“Because it’s important to me.” He didn’t mean to get that dejected look from Arcade, but there he was, doing it anyway. 

“Normally, I’d say we keep marching. But it’s summer. Sunset is late. We could take a break. There's time.” Boone nodded to end his own sentences, as though the physical were an extension of the verbal for him. 

Ignacio nodded as well. “That’s reasonable too.”

“So, exactly what I said?” Arcade pulled the straps of his pack up higher, and let out yet another indignant noise. 

Ignacio nodded to that too, even though it wasn’t even remotely what Arcade had directly said. He’d implied it, but it wasn’t said. That was the way with Arcade though. “We could stop, I suppose, but we shouldn’t take a long break.”

Everyone seemed to agree on that. Nods all around. 

Ignacio felt satisfaction in their compromise.

\---~~~---

He had known the moment Arcade gave him that look, with curled lips, darker green eyes, and a hidden tongue that peeked out and swiped across until it retracted; Ignacio had known it was a trick.

He was fond of tricks like that though. How could he complain when Arcade’s look proved infectious and Boone got a very similar one over his face? One that even Ignacio could read to mean that very good things were about to happen.

They had played around with who was ‘top’ and who was ‘bottom’ and it seemed rather likely he was the lucky ‘bottom’ this time around, from how Arcade had him pressed over a rickety overturned sarsaparilla crate. 

Ignacio was thankful he wore long and thick sleeves, despite the heat. It protected him from the splinters he would no doubt have gotten. “You’re insatiable.” It wasn’t an insult, but he wasn’t certain it was a compliment. He’d keep that judgment reserved until the finish.

“Yes. Yes, I am.” Arcade seemed so proud of that fact, unabashed to the core. “Boone, would you help me with his hands?”

Oh? Well, alright. Especially when he got manhandled backward a bit and repositioned over a remarkably intact freezer. It didn’t work, of course, though maybe if the power were to be returned to this gas station, it could? He’d certainly investigate it. To have a freezer located within HELIOS One would be--

“Let’s get these off of you, you won’t be needing them.”

He objected and physically scooted out of his lovers’ grips, “Arcade, if we strip here, it’s going to take even longer.” He turned about, faced the taller, more guilty one.

An arched brow said all Ignacio needed to know. Arcade wanted it to take longer. He was stalling.

No. Ignacio stepped back towards the shelves. “It’s not goodbye.”

“I didn’t say it was.” Arcade wore offense.

Unfortunate, but he wasn’t finished. “You wouldn’t say goodbye. I could be in a casket and you would say ‘see you later’.”

“Don’t you believe in an afterlife?”

It was a stalling shiny piece of bait, waving in the air, but he bit. “I do.”

“Well, if there was one, I’d see you later.”

Ignacio rubbed his forehead and perched on the edge of the unbroken freezer. “It’s a few hours walk to my workplace.”

“Then why are you in such a rush to get there?” Arcade rounded on him, his coat twisted about his body then twirled back around until it finally settled.

He kept the louder tone he was inclined to use at bay; he modulated it just enough Arcade wouldn’t be upset for just the opposite reason. Arcade got strange about tone sometimes. “Because, Boone recalls my idiot coworker, ‘Mr. Fantastic’. Don’t you Boone?”

Boone nodded. If he was confused or distressed by the situation, he hid it well from Ignacio.

Ignacio returned his attention to his blonde lover. “He takes ‘siestas’. He says that since my ‘people’ invented them, I should get on board with them as well. But he’s ignorant and doesn’t even know what they really are.”

Arcade stepped closer. He seemed to struggle to grasp the full meaning behind the words. Not that he’d admit it. Stubborn proud man.

Ignacio continued, “His ‘siestas’ last from noon until after sunset most days. If we get back there in time, we’d have an entire NCR facility to our own or at least a large portion of it. I know all the best places to go for privacy, but so does he, unfortunately.”

For once, it was simple to read all faces involved. Boone figured it out just exactly as quick as Arcade did.

Arcade grinned, “Oooh, you want privacy?”

He did not sigh. He inhaled, but he refused to let it come out as a sigh. Ignacio nodded and stepped between the two of them. “So, if you two would prefer to spend the last remnants of my vacation time in this dusty gas station with… interesting graffiti, then by all means. We should stay here. But if you’d like to be given a special tour of where I work, then we should eat and go.”

“I thought you didn’t think it ‘appropriate’ for people to do that sort of thing where they work?” Complete with air quotation marks.

Boone chuckled to himself.

Ignacio sighed. “You’re right. Forget I said anything.” Arcade didn’t seem to buy his bluff. “Or, perhaps I just don’t think it appropriate to do things in a place of work where the most private place you can get is a crumbling brick tower that others are constantly moving into.”

“Ugh, fine. But I still think you’re a hypocrite.”

“I’ll take that into consideration. Perhaps I’ll mend my ways.” He reached into his side bag and pulled out his water bottle. “Perhaps I’ll have to be ‘disciplined’.” He did not stoop to air quotes like Arcade so often did, but his tone shifted enough it was no doubt evident.

Boone nodded. Spread over his face was a look of deep thought, creased at the brows, tight around the mouth. “Oh, definitely. Especially if another NCR man catches you and Arcade fooling around in a secured facility. There are rules and regulations. You can’t just break them without some sort of punishment.”

Ignacio drank a bit more water than he strictly needed to. Arcade would probably say good, that Ignacio never drank enough to stay hydrated. So he drank a bit more and turned away from them both to keep from encouraging them with the situation developing very quickly under his clothes. 

Given time, his situation alleviated and he was able to move towards the exit. “Are you two ready? It shouldn’t be long before we reach it.”

Boone finished up with his iguana bits and stuck the stick into a nearby mostly unused wastebasket. 

Arcade wiped his hands off on his lap coat and followed along after, uncharacteristically silent. Or perhaps it was characteristic. Arcade always had been dodgy about this part of things. Saying goodbye, or any degree of it, was often too much. 

\---~~~---

“My man! Ignaaacio!” Fantastic. “Just noticed you were gone, and now you’re here! I’ve got like, some sixth sense. It’s crazy, man.” 

Fantastic. Just absolutely fantastic. Ignacio stepped forward.

He’d turned down pleasures in a run down gas station and he could honestly state that he’d gladly have taken being ravished over seeing the idiot’s half smile. 

“Oh, and my buddy, Bone! How’re you doing? Still hanging out with Fantastic’s Little Helper? Man, that guy was weird but pretty useful.”

Boone stepped forward. Arcade stepped forward.

The first one to reach Fantastic was Arcade, courtesy of those obscenely long legs that Ignacio couldn’t get enough of. Arcade stuck his hand out and forced a smile. “You must be Mr. Fantastic. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Oh, shit, yeah? Man, that’s super fucking rad. I mean, it’s not surprising, considering how I’m basically the god of this place.” 

Arcade beamed, all smiles and charm. “Do you know who you remind me of, from descriptions?”

Ignacio put a hand on Boone’s fist, squeezed it gently. He didn’t say anything, he refused to halt whatever Arcade had ready.

“No, man, but give me a minute and I bet I could guess!”

“Yeah? Well, you go right ahead and guess, let’s see if you’re right.” Arcade moved around beside Fantastic and hooked him into a side hold, though on the surface it was friendly.

“Mm, shit, uh. Someone pretty awesome, it’s got to be.”

“Mm, he thought so. It was a man named Burgess.”

Boone cast a glance towards Ignacio, seemed to want to know more.

Ignacio nodded, but put up a finger. He was aware there were so many moments between Arcade and him where Boone likely felt like a passenger, but this one he’d explain. Not yet though. He needed to know where Arcade planned to take it.

“Burgess? That’s a pretty alright name, but there’s no way he’s as fantastic as the one and only, Fantastic!”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s not like you in every way. Ignacio and I, we went to school with him. He just, wow, he had a bombastic personality like yours.” He squeezed Fantastic’s shoulders, then stepped away. “And I can’t wait to talk to you now, but I think they need you outside. I heard some men saying your name.”

“Really? Man, I hope those guys don’t want me going all the way out there, it’s way too hot and I burn too easy. That’s not a good look.”

“Oh, they’re just out back, I’m sure you’ll find them.”

Fantastic sighed and shook his head. “Man, this is what it’s like, being a celebrity. Everyone wants a piece of you. I can’t get a break.”

“It must be so hard for you, being wanted by everyone.” Arcade offered his best impression of sympathy and held his chin in hand. “Really, that must be wretched.” He gave a little head shake.

Arcade's glib comments wouldn't fool anyone.

“I know, right? Just be glad you’re not me, my life is so hard.”

Ignacio sighed. He'd thought just this little bit of Mr. Fantastic, and been proven wrong. Shameful.

“Well, just don’t forget, your fans need you outside.”

“Shit yeah, I almost forgot! Thanks for letting me know!”

“Don’t forget, it’s through the back entrance!”

The very one they’d entered through, to avoid the questions Ignacio would get if he moved in through the front.

“I’ll seeya man! You stay cool!” Fantastic rushed to the door, seemingly eager to meet his fans.

Arcade lifted up a pair of keys and jingled them with a wicked grin. “Think we should lock him out?”

Ignacio smirked. “Yes. Don’t you Boone?”

“I could do it in a minute.”

“That would be appreciated.” Arcade moved to Ignacio with a swagger. He handed the jangling keys over. 

Boone hadn’t run in front of Ignacio before but he seemed motivated enough to do it at least until he was out of the room.

Ignacio contemplated what Boone's body might look like, shirtless as he ran through the desert, sweat dripping all over his Adonis body. Nude, his tan could even out. 

"Ignacio?"

He returned his full attention to Arcade and raised both brows. “Pickpocketing. I hadn’t thought you able to do things like that.”

“Did you see all the signs of chem use? Jet, Hydra, Med-X, and I don’t even know what else. Even if ‘Mr. Fantastic’s Little Helper’ hadn’t shown me how to be occasionally a bit more covert in my dealings with others, I could have gotten those.”

Ignacio tugged him down into a kiss. When he broke the kiss, he stepped towards the doorway. “Now, if only he’d get lost in the desert. He could do everyone a favor.”

“You really hate this guy.”

“I… I know it’s petty, but he’s so--” He moaned, and tilted his neck for Arcade to kiss. One hand reached back and idly petted through Arcade’s hair, even though he couldn’t see it very well with how Arcade pressed up against him. “Frustrating.”

Determined, Arcade thrust against him, already turned on.

“This wasn’t where I had planned to seduce or be seduced, for that matter. There are many more private places.”

“Lead the way,” But Arcade seemed committed to being the leader in the dance. Right up to a desk.

Ignacio grunted and fell face first onto the smooth metal. “You’re a brute.”

“I am. Especially when I have you exactly where I want you.”

“Well, don’t tease me then. We’ve got a limited amount of time here if this is really where you want to.”

Apparently ‘don’t tease me’ translated to ‘roughly undress my lower body’ when interpreted by Arcade.

This surprised exactly no one but it thrilled Ignacio. How many years had he gone without human touch? Other humans. Fantastic and his incessant back pats and forced high fives did not count. 

To pick up intimacy so easily, so beautifully with Arcade and Boone, it made everything shift into a brilliant perspective.

Right as Arcade had them both prepared enough for a quick entry, the door opened.

Boone arched a brow at them. Then he reached back and locked the door without removing his gaze from them, “This doesn't seem allowed.”

Arcade pushed the head in but paused there. “What doesn’t, sir?”

This was patently absurd. Role play here wouldn’t fit, it just--

“I suppose I could be made to not report it.”

It worked just fine. Yes, it did. Especially with how that wonderful deep voice made Arcade so clearly react. Ignacio pushed back against that slow inward thrust. “How could we keep this quiet?”

Boone reached down and worked skilled fingers at the buckle. “I have a few ideas.”

It didn’t take long before Boone was out and in front of Ignacio’s waiting mouth. Boone spread his stance a bit and pressed the tip between lips. 

Just as he enjoyed the first few inches down his throat, Arcade from behind pushed all the way until hips met ass. It was too much, certainly more than he could focus on easily, but even with the overwhelmed feeling that slipped through him, he did his best to relax.

Arcade’s thrusts quickly grew beyond their regular sharp staccato, into erratic movements and needy noises.

Boone seemed to pick up Arcade’s tempo, even if he managed to be more quiet about it. 

Pounded into a metal desk he’d have to work on while employed in the facility, he shouldn’t have enjoyed it so much. It shouldn’t have been such a devilish pleasure. But he did, and it was. Ignacio could see now why Arcade had wanted to have that coupling inside the fort, and behind a tent, and any number of other bizarre places.

Maybe Arcade had gone as long without as Ignacio had and he just wanted to catch up on all the exciting sexual things they’d missed out on.

Ignacio felt Boone pull out before he heard the reason.

Several sharp knocks. “Hey! Hey, don’t lock me out! I’ve got all my chems in there. C’mon, this isn’t cool. Hombres? I can hear you in there, doing whatever you’re doing. Don’t make me get Miss Angry out front, she really harshes my everything, even if she is pretty hot. Man, have you seen her tits? They make me salute...”

Boone tucked himself in, tucked his tee just a bit, redid his belt, and moved to the doorway.

“Boone, no,” Arcade didn’t seem too upset though since he kept right on thrusting.

Ignacio couldn’t complain. He didn’t care. Fantastic could see everything and he wouldn’t care, so long as Arcade kept going like that. It wouldn’t matter in a few short hours anyway when he was officially back on the clock.

Boone stepped out the door before Fantastic could walk in. It shut behind them.

Arcade lay out over Ignacio and decreased the speed of his thrusts to very sensual smooth strokes. “I don’t hear anything. Do you?”

He sighed. This was just really about how things went, wasn’t it? Half the time they got interrupted by one of Arcade’s and Boone’s friends, or that Sarah girl at the Vault, or by doctors within the Mormon Fort. And the other half of the time, they got absolute bliss, stretching far beyond the reasonable amount for a person. None of them did things by halves, it seemed.

The door opened back up. Boone stepped forward with smears of blood on his knuckles. Once more, he locked the door and stepped over. 

Nosy man he was at times, Arcade asked, “What happened out there? Are you hurt?”

“I took care of a problem. And no, I’m not hurt.”

Ignacio was very glad, yes, most assuredly glad. He glared at Boone. He turned that glare back at the very still, fully sheathed Arcade.

“Did you solve it with punching?” Arcade didn’t even look at him. 

“Yes. And it felt Fantastic.” Boone unbuckled his belt, seemingly content to start things back up again.

That was fine by him, he could agree with this reasonable and unspoken course of action.

Arcade kept still though, maddeningly so. “Well, we’ll still have to deal with him after. That’s a short--”

“Actually, we should talk about that after this.”

“But--”

“I am not an impatient man. But you are going to see me when I am.” It was a blend of threat and promise that he knew could backfire on him. For all he knew, Arcade would become an even worse tease, draw things out until Ignacio felt the need to (lightly) put the fist in pacifist. That would probably get Arcade even more turned on if he were in a certain mood.

Ignacio didn’t have to look up to know they exchanged a look just above his head. In fact, he rather obstinately did not look up. So long as they started doing something he wouldn’t have to get terse.

Arcade pulled out.

For a wretched moment, Ignacio was worried Arcade would pick tease.

Arcade slammed in and slapped both hands down hard over Ignacio’s spread ass. “Is this what you wanted?”

Boone filled his mouth before he could reply, so good. He wasn’t about to egg Arcade on in being smug, because he couldn't. 

Hands, hands, everywhere, and all of them on him. Ignacio quickly fell into overwhelmed territory, but he didn’t mind.

“You’re so beautiful. Is this your desk? It looks like it. It’s tidy like you always are.”

“It’s definitely his,” Boone said it with confidence.

“How do you know?” Arcade held within Ignacio for a moment.

“That’s why he likes this so much.”

Arcade chuckled. “I suppose that is true. You know, Ignacio, I think you’re the bad influence sometimes.” It was a tease, though it came out lower than usual, like Arcade’s throat was too tight. Like he was about to finish.

The erratic thrusts confirmed that theory. 

Ignacio didn’t mind in the least. He hardly cared if it went on forever, he just wanted to feel so high for a bit. So high, so so high, until all thoughts left his brain and he was swimming in a cloud of mumbled words and loud exclamations of enjoyment. His, theirs, it didn’t matter.

He nodded acquiescence before the seed flooded his throat. He nodded still when he swallowed and when the come dripped down his chin and Boone knelt down and kissed it away. 

He couldn’t stop nodding and murmuring when Arcade finished with his telltale stillness followed by intense short thrusts.

He blinked and it was over. He’d ridden out his afterglow with errant thrusts against his desk and made a big mess. Probably, some of the come had dribbled into one of the drawers and he’d have to hand write more reports. He’d likely made so much more work for himself.

Ignacio stretched, satisfied, and slowly stood. “I could use a nap.” He looked to both of them. “You two must be tired, after walking with me all this way. Join me.”

Both joined him immediately.

He didn’t know if they slept as quickly as he did, but he was out within the minute.

He woke to Arcade staring at him.

“It’s a shame you’re going to have to keep working with that guy.” Arcade curled up against him. “You know, Julie really liked having you around. You fixed everything.”

“Exactly. It’s all fixed. I’m not necessary there anymore.”

“Everyone really enjoyed your presence at the 38,” Boone joined in, having learned to cajole with the best of them by following Arcade’s lead.

It struck him as a bitter sort of irony that he was the one who didn’t want to have this conversation this time. He could try to blame Arcade for that but it wasn’t really on him. Ignacio stared at a rusty rivet on the ceiling. “Vacation ends soon. If midnight arrived, it has.”

“It’s not midnight yet.” Boone didn’t look for a watch, or a clock before he asserted this.

Boone didn’t say things for no reason, so he clearly had some manner of knowing and Ignacio accepted this.

“Well, at midnight vacation ends. I have until then to enjoy myself fully and off the clock.”

“I know you think you’re saying more than you really are, but…” Arcade rolled over onto him.

“At midnight, I become the one officially in charge of this facility, at least in terms of power output. If I want to fire ‘Fantastic’, then that’s something I can do. And will do. With absolutely zero compunction. In fact, I thought to throw a party. I think even some of my coworkers would partake in it.”

Boone grinned and flipped onto his side. “I like parties.”

“A few weeks ago I might argue that you don’t even know what parties are,” Arcade spoke with his chin pressed against folded hands, which were pressed in turn against Ignacio’s chest. “I guess I know better now.”

“I guess you do.” Boone’s little flicker of pleasure didn’t fade in the face of Arcade’s teasing.

“And, if you’re thinking this might be ‘see you later’, it doesn’t have to be. I’ve worked with the NCR incessantly for nearly 5 years. That’s a lot of vacation time I can take. And you two are welcome to visit.”

He’d half expected Arcade to act. Well. Like Arcade acted. 

Instead, Arcade grew a naughty little smile and tugged Ignacio up for a kiss, then gave one right to Boone’s surprised lips. “Good. I think I’ll be coming out here more often then. For cactus blooms of course. Julie always needs those for research.”

“And I know a lot of people out this way. Friends.” Boone shifted closer until his pelvis pressed against Ignacio. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to make the trip out.”

“No, no it shouldn’t.” Arcade had that look again.

A quick look said Boone carried the same expression.

He took the initiative this time. He rolled Arcade over onto their back, then motioned for Boone to come forward. “We’ve got some time until midnight.”

Boone nodded, “A few hours, last I checked.”

“Why waste it?”

They seemed to agree.

There was lots of talk about how much he wanted them and how much they both wanted him and each other. Of course, there was talk about how Boone clearly enjoyed it when Arcade did that with his tongue, and how Arcade adored having his scalp massaged and scratched. They talked about how Ignacio’s bed was unforgivably small and if he didn’t fix that by next time, Arcade would riot and Boone teasingly agreed.

There was no more talk about goodbye when it was actually see you soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and summary refers to Fantastic being gone soon, not his lovers. Obviously. I could see how you might think otherwise, but rest assured, Boone and Arcade are sticking around at the very least until they have a nice party because that drugged-up turncoat got tossed out on his ass into the wastes.
> 
> ... I really don't like Mr. Fantastic.
> 
> But I hope you all enjoyed this story!


End file.
